NEW DELHI, June 27:
After Pakistan’s flip flop over release of death row convict Sarabjit Singh, India today renewed its appeal for his freedom amid questions as to what forced the U-turn.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, who had yesterday thanked President Asif Ali Zardari following reports that Sarabjit, 49, was to be released which turned out to be untrue, today said the government was waiting for an official communication from Pakistan about who was being released.
He said he had seen media reports which said that one Surjeet Singh and not Sarabjit Singh was being released by Pakistan after 30 years of being in prison.
“I have seen media reports about the impending release from imprisonment in Pakistan of Surjeet Singh…I welcome this decision and further renew our request to the President of Pakistan to release Sarabjit Singh who has been in custody for over two decades. He is serving a death sentence,” Krishna said.
“As you are aware that the Government of India has consistently urged the Government of Pakistan on several occasions to take a sympathetic and humanitarian view on the case of Sarabjit Singh.
“I also appeal to the Government of Pakistan to release all Indian nationals who have completed prison term. I request the release of all Indians who are serving jail sentences in Pakistani prisons,” the minister said.
He said India has been impressing upon Pakistan that Sarabjit had already spent many years in prison and it was time for it to take a lenient view on him.
“We can understand the agony of his (Sarabjit’s) family. We have always taken up his issue with the urgency attached to it,” the minister said.
Sources said India was puzzled over the flip flop and still there was no official word yet about who is being released.
Asked whether he thought the Army was behind the Pakistan government’s turnabout, Krishna said he would not like to speculate as to what happened.
There were reports yesterday evening in Pakistan that the death sentence of Sarabjit, held since 1990 over charges of terrorism, had been commuted to life sentence by President Asif Ali Zardari.
However, hours later, Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar denied it and said authorities were working on the release of another prisoner Surjeet Singh.
Surjeet, currently being held in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, has been in Pakistani captivity for over three decades. He was captured near the border with India on charges of spying during the era of military ruler Zia-ul-Haq.
Sarabjit, who too is being held at Kot Lakhpat, was sentenced to death for alleged involvement in a string of blasts in Punjab province in 1990. (PTI)
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