The Hindu : Front Page : Sarabjit’s execution put off indefinitely

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Sarabjit’s execution put off indefinitely

Nirupama Subramaniam

Interior Ministry’s plan to commute all death sentences may benefit him

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has put off the execution of Sarabjit Singh indefinitely.

An order received by Kot Lakhpat jail, Lahore, from the Ministry on Friday says: “The execution of the Indian national Sarabjit Singh is stayed till further orders.”

Family’s appeals

The order comes days after a visit by Sarabjit’s family to Pakistan during which it made appeals for the 42-year-old condemned prisoner’s pardon.

The Interior Ministry is also considering commuting all death sentences to life imprisonment, a move that could benefit Sarabjit.

PTI reports from New Delhi and Islamabad:

India reacted cautiously to media reports that Pakistan has put on hold the execution of Sarabjit.

“We are awaiting confirmation. Thus, we cannot comment in finality on news reports. We will be much relieved if that is the decision,” Minister of State for External Affairs Minister Anand Sharma said.

“India,” he told NDTV, “has been urging the government of Pakistan to take a humanitarian view and we had asked for clemency on that ground.”

Earlier, Pakistan’s leading human rights activist Ansar Burney told reporters in Islamabad that hanging Sarabjit would amount to “murder of humanity,” as he was convicted without “any substantial evidence.” He said there were several legal loopholes in Sarabjit’s conviction.

Mr. Burney, a former Minister for Human Rights, has been at the forefront of a campaign to commute Sarabjit’s death sentence to life.

Mr. Burney was instrumental in the release of another death row Indian prisoner Kashmir Singh.

“I cannot allow the government to hang Sarabjit Singh on the basis that he is a non-Muslim and non-Pakistani, and because of pressure from extremist fundamentalist groups,” he said.

Sarabjit was sentenced to death for his alleged involvement in four bomb blasts in the Punjab province in 1990.

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