The Tribune – Sarabjit makes fresh clemency appeal to Zardari

Islamabad, May 29. Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh, convicted for his alleged role in bomb attacks in Pakistan in 1990, has sent a fresh clemency appeal to President Asif Ali Zardari, a media report said today.

This is the fifth mercy petition from Sarabjit, who was sentenced to death for a string of bombings that killed 14 persons. The 49-year-old Indian is being held at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. He has been on death row for over 20 years.

Sarabjit’s fresh petition, which includes a document with signatures of 1,00,000 Indians, urges Zardari to reciprocate the recent release of Pakistani virologist Khalil Chishti by India, The Express Tribune reported.

Chishti, who was convicted in a murder case in 1992, was recently freed on bail by India’s Supreme Court.The court, subsequently, allowed him to visit Pakistan to meet his family. Attached to Sarabjit’s mercy petition are two letters addressed to Zardari by Delhi’s Jama Masjid Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari and Syed Muhammad Yamin Hashmi, caretaker of the Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.

Sarabjit’s counsel Owais Sheikh said his client had written a two-page letter to be sent to the President. “I’ve forwarded both the petition and the letter to President Zardari.” In his letter to the President, Maulana Bukhari of the Jama Masjid pointed out that Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur had met him personally and provided “vital evidence” which proved Sarabjit’s innocence.

“Singh should be freed on humanitarian grounds, which will not only help in promoting goodwill between the two neighbours but will also result in promoting communal harmony among Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims of India,” Bukhari wrote. Sarabjit was set to be hanged in 2008 but the Pakistan put off his execution indefinitely after PM Yousuf Raza Gilani intervened. (PTI)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120530/punjab.htm#5

The Tribune – Won’t let Sarabjit be hanged: Burney

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 23. Noted human rights activist from Pakistan Ansar Burney today said he would not let Sarabjit Singh, who is on death row there, to be hanged to death till he (Burney) was in Pakistan.

Talking to mediapersons before returning to Pakistan, Burney said: “I feel anybody should not be punished twice for the same crime. He had been sentenced to 14 years in jail and then his term was extended to 25 years. Now, only three years of his sentence are left”.

He demanded that death penalty be abolished in both countries. “In a legal system where witnesses can be bought in lieu of cash, there should be no death penalty”. He said a fresh clemency petition had already been filed before the Pakistan President in Sarabjit’s case and he was hopeful of a positive outcome.

On the issue of Pakistan virologist Dr Khalil Chishti, Burney said the former was around 80 years of age and suffering from various ailments and therefore, he should be allowed to return to his country alive. “I guarantee that I will produce him whenever the Indian court wants him to appear for any hearing,” he said, adding that repatriating him to Pakistan would send a good message.

He said there were a large number of prisoners on both the sides who had completed their jail term, but were still languishing in prisons. “Both the countries are treating them less as prisoners and more as enemies,” he said, demanding that they should be released immediately.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120424/punjab.htm#12