LAHORE: Muhammad Shahid Iqbal Bhatti, a Pakistani citizen, was repatriated from India to Pakistan on Tuesday after serving 17 years in jail on spying charges. Pakistan’s High Commission in India confirmed the handover took place at the Wagah-Attari border. Bhatti, originally from Kasur, was sentenced by an Indian court for espionage. He was arrested in August 2008 in Indian Punjab. While in custody, Bhatti was questioned for living illegally in India. An official said the then-chief manager of State Bank of India filed a complaint against him in November 2008. Following a court trial, Bhatti was jailed for spying. After completing his sentence, Pakistani and Indian officials arranged his return. The Pakistani High Commission expressed its commitment to continue working for the release of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails. Bhatti’s return follows the recent repatriation of three other Pakistani prisoners from India in late November 2025, including Ramzan, Muhammad Idrees, and Asghar Ali, all held for border-related offenses.