The Hindu : Front Page : A glimmer of hope for Sarabjit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 25, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

A glimmer of hope for Sarabjit

Nirupama Subramanian

His case under active consideration, says Foreign Office spokesman

— Photo: AFP

HE IS INNOCENT: Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjit Singh who is facing the gallows in Pakistan, speaks to the media in Lahore on Thursday after visiting him in jail. The condemned man’s daughters Swapandeep (right) and Poonam are with her.

ISLAMABAD: In a glimmer of hope for Sarabjit Singh, on death row in Pakistan, Foreign Office spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said at the weekly briefing that his case was under “active consideration” by the government.

“The issue of Sarabjit Singh is under active consideration. We have received a request from the Indian government. A decision will be taken in due course,” Mr. Sadiq said.

Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur told the swarm of journalists outside Kot Lakhpat that it was an emotional reunion for the daughters who were both infants at the time of his arrest in 1990.

He was arrested and convicted for causing five bomb blasts in Lahore, Faislabad and Kasur and sentenced to death.

While human rights activists are asking for his life to be spared by commuting his death sentence to life term, several private television channels are airing outrage at the plea for leniency.

Many channels have been running footage of the destruction caused by the explosions as well as interviews with the family members of those who died in the blasts, demanding that he be hanged.

As the family went into the prison to meet him, a small group stood outside shouting slogans against him and demanding that he be hanged.

Asked about justice for the victims if his life was spared, Mrs. Dalbir Kaur said he was innocent.

“I can assure you that he had nothing to do with it. There isn’t a ghost of a connection between us and terrorism,” she said.

She also appealed to the Indian and Pakistani governments to release all Indian and Pakistani prisoners in each other’s jails unconditionally.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page