NEW DELHI: Twenty seven items – including a copy of holy Quran – belonging to the dead Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah will be sent back to Pakistan along with his body.

Jammu jail authorities have sent these items — a Jai Nimaz (prayer rug) and daily use items like his slippers, comb, brush and clothes – through special messenger to Chandigarh from where Sanaullah body would be flown to Pakistan.

Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said, “The body of Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah will be handed over to Pakistan. The MEA is coordinating with Pakistani authorities to complete the formalities to send his body back home. Once the formalities are done, we will hand over the body”.

Since Pakistan is arranging an aircraft to fly his body back home, officials here said, if Pakistani authorities arrange a non-military registered plane, the clearance from Indian side would be prompt making it possible to send the body as early as possible.

Officials in the home ministry, meanwhile, said that the Centre had already issued its advisory to all states twice asking them to step up security of their respective jails where Pakistani prisoners are lodged.

Twenty of the Pakistani prisoners are currently lodged in the high security Tihar Jail in the Capital whereas remaining others are in prisons located in Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Twelve out of 20 in Tihar Jail are convicted Pakistani prisoners whereas remaining are under-trails. Most of the Pakistani prisoners were arrested on charges of terrorism and drug peddling.