The Hindu : National : New Delhi seeks information from Islamabad

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Wednesday, Aug 24, 2005

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National

New Delhi seeks information from Islamabad

B. Muralidhar Reddy

Final appeal for clemency lies with Musharraf

ISLAMABAD: The Deputy High Commissioner in the Indian High Commission here, T.C.A. Raghavan, said a request for information on Sarabjit Singh's case was made to Pakistan on Monday along with a renewed request for consular access to enable the Indian mission officials to establish contact with him.

"For several months now India has been seeking consular access to Mr. Singh. Since we have not heard from the Pakistan Government we decided to renew the request," Mr. Raghavan said.

Request may be considered

UNI reports from New Delhi:

Islamabad may consider any clemency appeal made by the relatives of Sarabjit Singh, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri said.

"This is a legal matter ... only President Pervez Mushrraf can take a final decision on any appeal for clemency," he said in an interview to Aaj Tak. He was speaking directly to Sarabjit Singh's sister from the news channel's studio.

Sarabjit Singh's sister, during the brief conversation, appealed to Mr. Kasuri that her brother be spared as he was innocent. "It is a case of mistaken identity ... my brother is being punished for the crime which he has not committed," she said.

Mr. Kasuri told her: "The Supreme Court has taken 15 years in deciding the case ... I can't say anything at this stage ... Your clemency appeal will reach the President ... only he can take a decision on it."

When it was pointed out that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may speak to Gen. Musharraf in this connection, he said: "I can not comment on what they will discuss."

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