The Hindu : Front Page : Sarabjit’s execution not put off, says Pakistan

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Sarabjit’s execution not put off, says Pakistan

Islamabad: The execution of Sarabjit Singh, on death row in Pakistan, has not been postponed further, a presidential spokesman said on Saturday.

According to the ARY TV channel, Major General (retired) Rashid Qureshi denied reports in the Pakistani media that the execution was postponed by one more month.

Last month, President Pervez Musharraf deferred the hanging of the Indian national by 30 days so that Pakistan’s new government could review his case following India’s clemency appeal. The execution was originally fixed for April 1.

Fresh appeal

On Friday, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee made a fresh appeal that Sarabjit be granted clemency on humanitarian grounds. There has not been any official response from Islamabad.

Sarabjit’s lawyer Rana Abdul Hamid said his case could be considered only by the retired General Musharraf, as the President alone has the power to pardon him.

Rights activist Ansar Burney too said he would file a fresh appeal with General Musharraf as there were several loopholes in the conviction of Sarabjit of involvement in the Lahore blasts in 1990, in which 14 persons were killed.

“Even if he is guilty, the death sentence should be converted to life imprisonment as Sarabjit has [already] spent 18 years on death row,” Mr. Burney said.

His mercy petition was rejected by General Musharraf on March 3 and earlier by Pakistan’s Supreme Court in March 2006. Official sources said it could be “awkward” if Sarabjit, now held in a Lahore jail, was hanged ahead of the first meeting next month between Mr. Mukherjee and his new Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

They are scheduled to review the previous round of the composite dialogue process which concluded last year. — PTI

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