The Hindu : Front Page : Sarabjit’s sister appeals to Musharraf

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Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008
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Sarabjit’s sister appeals to Musharraf

Nirupama Subramanian

All-round dismay in India: High Commission
New Delhi has high hopes from new institutional arrangements

ISLAMABAD: India on Tuesday made an indirect appeal to Pakistan’s incoming government to reconsider executing the death sentence on Sarabjit Singh.

An Indian High Commission statement here expressed hope that the appeals from Sarabjit’s family, the Government of India and others would “be given a chance to be considered from all angles, including by the new government expected to take office soon.”

The statement noted that Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur on Tuesday made a direct appeal to President Pervez Musharraf for clemency and requested that she be allowed to meet her brother. Besides, several members of the Indian Parliament, cutting across party lines, made an appeal for sparing his life.

The statement mentioned the “dismay” across India at the reports that Sarabjit would be hanged and pointed out that the view in the Indian media was that “this sudden decision is in retaliation for the unfortunate death of Khalid Mehmood,” Pakistani who died in an Indian prison.

“Such impressions will impinge on the positive atmosphere currently existing between India and Pakistan.”

The statement recalled the initiatives by the two governments to improve the situation for prisoners of either country in the other’s jails, including a new Agreement on Consular Access and setting up of a Joint Judicial Committee on Prisoners.

‘High hopes’

“The Government of India holds high hopes from such new institutional arrangements, as well as from the dialogue process with Pakistan, which it hopes very much that it can quickly resume.”

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