The Hindu : Front Page : Sarabjit is not India’s only focus

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Wednesday, May 21, 2008
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Sarabjit is not India’s only focus

Sandeep Dikshit

India to seek humane treatment and release of all its prisoners in Pakistan

— Photo: PTI

Moving ahead: Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon (left) accompanied by his Pakistani counterpart, Salman Bashir, and Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik (right) in Islamabad on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: During their talks in Pakistan, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon will avoid the more eye-catching option of seeking the release of Sarabjit Singh (who is on death row in Pakistan) in favour of an approach that ensures the expeditious release and humane treatment of all the prisoners.

“We want the release of all prisoners. This issue of one prisoner, whose profile has become so high, becomes a big issue. We will raise the issue of releasing all the prisoners. We will mention Sarabjit’s name but won’t single him out,” said highly placed sources.

The number of Indians in Pakistani jails is six times more than that of Pakistani prisoners in India. According to the list exchanged recently, there are 119 Pakistani prisoners, including 14 fishermen in Indian jails. On the other hand, 640 Indians (including some released on Tuesday) are incarcerated in Pakistan.

The high-profile media campaign seeking Sarabjit’s release led to the postponement of his hanging for his alleged involvement in bomb blasts in Lahore. His family claimed that he had strayed into Pakistan by mistake and his arrest on charges of terrorism was a case of mistaken identity.

While the campaign did get him a reprieve, it left diplomats on both sides a chagrined lot. All the progress made so far to ensure speedy release and humane treatment was pushed into the background.

Of more concern to India is the long spells spent in jails by its citizens, often without consular access. This issue was taken up with Pakistan at various interactions and finally during Mr. Mukherjee’s visit in January last, it was decided to set up a judicial committee to examine the cases. This committee met in February this year and recommended that a consolidated list with full particulars be exchanged and prisoners, who had completed their sentences, released immediately.

The lists were exchanged on March 31 and Mr. Mukherjee and Mr. Menon would be impressing on Pakistan to implement the recommendations and provide consular access to all the detained fishermen and prisoners.

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