The Hindu : National : India for `humanitarian' view of Sarabjit case

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 26, 2005

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India for `humanitarian' view of Sarabjit case

Amit Baruah

Strong sentiment for sparing his life The Government is hopeful that consular access would be granted taken by Pakistan

— Photo: PTI

PRAYING FOR PAPA'S SAFETY: Sapandeep Kaur and Poonam, daughters of Sarabjit Singh, performing `hawan' with students of Gurukul College at Bhikhiwand, near Amritsar, on Wednesday praying for the overturning of the death sentence given by the Pakistan Supreme Court to their father.

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh conveyed to the Pakistani High Commissioner Aziz Ahmed Khan on Thursday the Indian sentiment that the Sarabjit Singh case be treated as a "humanitarian issue" by the Government of Pakistan.

For the second consecutive day, India took up with the Pakistanis the issue of consular access to Sarabjit Singh, whose death sentence was recently confirmed by the Pakistani Supreme Court.

The External Affairs Ministry spokesman said after the meeting between Mr. Singh and the High Commissioner: "He [the Minister] reiterated the fact that this is a humanitarian matter and also that there is a strong public sentiment in India for sparing the life of the individual. Once again the matter of consular access being provided was taken up. We hope that things would move in a positive direction."

Senior officials admitted that the tremendous pressure being mounted by television channels in the Sarabjit Singh case had forced the hand of the Indian Government into raising the issue with Islamabad again and again.

Soon after the meeting at South Block, the Pakistani High Commissioner stated that he would convey the sentiments expressed by Mr. Natwar Singh to his Government.

It is clear that the first concession has been made by India — that Sarabjit Singh is an Indian national. This informal determination has been made despite the fact that Pakistan is still to provide consular access to confirm Sarabjit's Indian nationality.

Officials are also puzzled by the fact that there are over 1,300 Indian nationals being held in Pakistani jails while the figure for Pakistanis in India is around 350, but no hue and cry has been made in the other cases.

In the Sarabjit case, the Government is hopeful that consular access would be granted and a lenient view taken by Pakistan of the sentence handed down to him. Though India has not publicly requested that Sarabjit be granted clemency, the suggestion that things "move in a positive direction" is a clear pointer in that direction.

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