The Tribune – Parliament resolution condemns Sarabjit’s killing

Prime Minister calls him ‘brave son of India’, assails Pakistan – Rajnath Singh wants envoy recalled

Ashok Tuteja & Syed Ali Ahmed, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 2. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed outrage over Sarabjit Singh’s death and attacked Pakistan for not heeding to India’s pleas for taking a humanitarian view of the Indian death row convict’s case. The BJP went a step further and demanded the scaling down of diplomatic relations with Islamabad.

Parliament passed a unanimous resolution, condemning the “inhuman treatment” meted out to Sarabjit in Pakistan’s Kot Lakhpat Jail leading to his death and asked the Pakistan authorities to bring to book those who carried out the murderous assault on him.

As protests erupted in parts of the National Capital following Sarabjit’s death, his distraught family members met Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa and other leaders at National Commission for Scheduled Castes vice-chairman Raj Kumar Verka’s residence here and demanded that he be declared a “martyr” and cremated with full state honours.

They also asked the government to take full responsibility of the family – Sarabjit’s wife Sukhpreet Kaur, daughters Poonam and Swapandeep and sister Dalbir Kaur.

Dalbir Kaur complained that her brother had been killed in the Pakistan jail due to government’s negligence. Had the government taken the case seriously, Sarabjit would have come home alive.

She alleged that a Pakistan official had demanded Rs 25 crore as bribe for Sarabjit’s life. When she expressed her helplessness, the official concerned reduced the bribe amount to Rs 2 crore.

Soon after India woke up to the news of Sarabjit’s death in Pakistan, the Prime Minister said: “I am deeply saddened by the passing away of Sarabjit. He was a brave son of India who bore his tribulations with valiant fortitude.”

Manmohan Singh underlined that the criminals responsible for the “barbaric and murderous attack” must be brought to justice.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said he was “extremely anguished” by Sarabjit’s death, adding it had hurt the relations with Islamabad.

New Delhi asserted that it had been taking up Sarabjit’s case with the Pakistan authorities at every level since 2005. “If we were not convinced that Sarabjit is innocent, we would not have taken up his case,” MEA spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said.

BJP president Rajnath Singh criticised the manner in which the government handled the Sarabjit issue. Had India taken effective diplomatic steps, such an incident would not have taken place, he said, demanding the recall of the Indian envoy to Islamabad as a mark of protest.

Members in both Houses of Parliament also expressed their anguish over Sarabjit’s death and adopted a resolution, condemning the “inhuman treatment” meted out to the Indian prisoner. The members also conveyed their condolences to the bereaved family and stood in silence as a mark of respect to the departed.

While Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari cancelled the dinner he was to host in honour of National Film award winners, Rajya Sabha member MS Gill asked the government to ensure that Sarabjit’s family members were adequately compensated.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130503/main1.htm

The Tribune – Sarabjit dies in Lahore hospital, India asks Pakistan to punish his attackers

Lahore/Islamabad. Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh died of cardiac arrest in a Lahore hospital in the wee hours on Thursday after being comatose for nearly a week following a brutal assault by fellow inmates in a high-security Pakistani jail, officials said.

“I received a call from the doctor on duty (at Jinnah Hospital) at 1am (1:30 IST) informing me that Sarabjit is no more,” Mahmood Shaukat, the head of a medical board that was supervising 49-year-old Sarabjit’s treatment, told.

Another doctor, who was part of the team treating Sarabjit, said he died of cardiac arrest, adding that doctors made several unsuccessful attempts to resuscitate him.

Officials of the Indian high commission in Islamabad said they had been informed by officials of Jinnah Hospital about Sarabjit’s death.

Sarabjit sustained severe injuries when at least six prisoners attacked him in a barrack at Kot Lakhpat Jail on Friday, hitting him on the head with bricks.

Sarabjit was convicted of alleged involvement in a string of bomb attacks in Punjab province that killed 14 people in 1990 and spent about 22 years in Pakistani prisons.

His family, who had just returned to India after visiting him in Jinnah hospital, always insisted Sarabjit was innocent and he had inadvertently strayed across the border in an inebriated state.

His mercy petitions were rejected by the courts and former President Pervez Musharraf.

The previous Pakistan People’s Party-led government put off Sarabjit’s execution for an indefinite period in 2008.

Sarabjit’s heart was beating “but without brain function” because of the extensive head injuries he sustained during the assault. He was completely unresponsive and unable to breathe without ventilator support.

Shaukat said authorities were yet to decide on conducting an autopsy on Sarabjit’s body.

Asked whether the autopsy would be done after getting permission from the government, he said: “At the moment I have no idea.

No decision had been made about handing over the body to Sarabjit’s kin or to Indian authorities, Shaukat said.

“These matters will be worked out according to the directions from the government,” he said.

The official sources in Lahore had yesterday said Sarabjit had slipped into a “non-reversible” coma and this could lead to “brain death”.

His measurements on the Glasgow Coma Scale, which indicates the levels of consciousness and damage to a person’s central nervous system, had dropped to a “critical level”, the sources said.

Police have booked two death row prisoners, Amer Aftab and Mudassar for the attack on Sarabjit. They reportedly told investigators that they had attacked Sarabjit because he had allegedly carried out bomb attacks in Lahore.

No action has been taken so far against officials of the jail for failing to provide adequate security to Sarabjit.

Following the rapid deterioration in Sarabjit’s condition, New Delhi had requested that he be immediately released so that he could be treated in India or a third country.

Pakistan had said it was “positively considering” the request to repatriate Sarabjit.

India asks Pakistan to punish his attackers

New Drlhi. Asserting that Sarabjit Singh’s death was a killing of an Indian citizen while in the custody of Pakistan jail authorities, India on Thursday demanded that Pakistan conduct a through probe into the incident to ensure that those who are responsible were punished.

It also said that the shocking attack on Sarabjit highlights the needs of concerted action by Pakistan to safeguard Indians in Pakistani jails.

“We express great anguish at the demise of Sarabjit Singh who succumbed to injuries after the brutal attack on him in Kot Lakhpat Jail. This was, put simply, the killing of our citizen while in the custody of Pakistan jail authorities. We demand that the government of Pakistan conducts a through investigation to identify those who were responsible, and to ensure that they are punished,” Ministry of External Affairs said today in a release here.

The Ministry also said that it shares the pain and sorrow of Sarabjit’s family and has asked has the Pakistani authorities to release his body so that he can be given a funeral in Indian and among his own people.

Sarabjit, 49, died of cardiac arrest in a Lahore hospital in the wee hours today after being comatose for nearly a week following a brutal assault by fellow inmates in the high-security Pakistani jail.

Sarabjit sustained severe injuries when at least six prisoners attacked him in a barrack at Kot Lakhpat Jail on Friday, hitting him on the head with bricks. (PTI)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130502/latest-news.htm

The Hindu – No plan to shift Sarabjit Singh: Pakistan

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, 29 April 2013.  Hours before New Delhi formally appealed to Pakistan to transfer the Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh to India for treatment, Islamabad said there were no plans to shift him and that he was getting the “best possible care’’ in Lahore’s Jinnah Hospital.

Sarabjit is in deep coma after being assaulted in a Lahore jail by co-inmates.

Meanwhile, Dawn.com quoted an unnamed hospital source as saying that Sarabjit was “brain dead.”

Members of his family — who reached Lahore on Sunday — have been allowed to meet him whenever they want. For the first time, some television channels showed grainy footage of Sarabjit on life-support in the hospital.

Also, according to Dawn.com report, the brutal attack on Sarabjit inside Kot Lakhpat Jail was planned. He was attacked with bricks and iron rods that the inmates pulled out from under-construction sewerage lines. Two wardens who tried to stop them were also injured.

The clarification on the possibility of shifting Sarabjit came in the wake of television reports suggesting that he could be moved to a hospital overseas. But both the federal administration and the provincial government ruled out the possibility.

In the case of the federal government, the clarification was made by Information Minister Arif Nizami.

Speaking to journalists here, he said that “the best possible care is being provided to Sarabjit’’ and that there were no plans to shift him.

However, there was no official word from the Foreign Office on India’s appeal. With parallels being drawn to the case of teenager Malala Yousafzai — who was shifted to a hospital in the U.K. after being shot in the head by the Taliban — officials pointed out that the two cases were poles apart. Sarabjit was a death row prisoner and shifting him out of the country — even to a place other than India — involved legal issues.

With the consular access issue resolved, Pakistan claimed that the full time access allowed to the two Indian officials stationed in Lahore since Friday was “unprecedented.”

Release Sarabjit: India

Sandeep Dikshit writes from Moscow:

India has sought the release of Sarabjit on humanitarian grounds. It has also asked Pakistan to consider the option of transferring him to India for further treatment if it was medically feasible.

Terming the current state of affairs a mismatch between Indian expectations and Pakistani delivery, Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid said the issue was too tragic and important for “us as a nation” and human beings for frivolous criticism, especially by the media and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

“The nation needs to speak with one voice. We will be happy to consider any constructive criticism while we are pulling out all our diplomatic resources.”

Asked whether he would travel to Pakistan just as the Italian Minister did in the case of the nation’s marines, Mr. Khurshid, while ruling out this option considering the current relations between India and Pakistan, said the government did not need recommendations from the media.

“We continue to do our best. Right now it is important that he gets the best possible medical attention. If his medical condition permits, we could fly him out and give him the best possible treatment.

As for the BJP, he said there were a lot of things that party should not have done, such as getting on the bus to Pakistan.

Mr. Khurshid is here to hold a review meeting of all bilateral issues with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, including giving a push to civil nuclear cooperation, opening new areas in defence collaboration, inviting Russian investment in Indian special economic zones and easing bottlenecks that have inhibited trade with Russia, especially in fertilizers and chemicals.

Mr. Khurshid, in his meetings, also touched upon further collaboration in the hydrocarbons sector and a free trade agreement with the trio of Russia, Kazakhstan and Bylorussia.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/no-plan-to-shift-sarabjit-pakistan/article4666704.ece?homepage=true

The Tribune – Family visits Sarabjit Singh, doctors see slim hope; Pakistan restricts consular access, doctors say 49-year-old has suffered grievous head injuries

Tribune News Service & PTI

Amritsar/Lahore/Islamabad, April 28. Pakistani doctors treating a comatose Sarabjit Singh in a Lahore hospital today said there was no improvement in his condition and chances of his survival were “slim” even as his distraught family visited him and demanded that he be sent to India for better treatment. India sought “regular consular access” to Sarabjit after Pakistani authorities imposed restrictions on meeting him.

Over 45 hours after death row convict Sarabjit was admitted to the state-run Jinnah Hospital with a severe head injury after a brutal assault in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail, there has been “no sign” of recovery or improvement in his condition, doctors were quoted as saying. They believe the 49-year-old’s chances of survival are “slim”, as he sustained injuries over a widespread area of his head that led to unconsciousness.

Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur, wife Sukhpreet Kaur and daughters Swapandeep and Poonam, visited him at Jinnah Hospital in Lahore soon after they crossed over from Wagah today afternoon. A senior doctor told PTI that Sarabjit’s sister, wife and two daughters were allowed to see him through a window from outside the ICU as it was “not good for the patient as well as attendants to get close to each other”.

Asked if Sarabjit’s relatives could have been allowed to get close to him after wearing protective clothing and masks, the doctor said, “We cannot take any chances with regard to the health of our patients. Sarabjit Singh is not in a condition that a visitor can be allowed to sit by him.”

“Sarabjit’s face is swollen, he was beaten up with iron rods… He is unconscious, in a very critical condition…” his sister Dalbir said. His wife Sukhpreet appealed to Pakistani authorities to send her husband back to India for better treatment. A team of Indian doctors is also accompanying the family and will determine if he should be shifted to another hospital for better treatment, Pakistani media reported.

The family had last met Sarabjit in jail in 2008 while Dalbir Kaur had visited him again in jail in 2011.

Sources said Sarabjit’s skull was fractured after he was hit on the head with bricks and his face and torso cut with weapons fashioned from spoons and pieces of ghee tins during Friday’s assault. Doctors found a haematoma (a localised collection of blood outside vessels) larger than 3 cm, indicating that he was in need of surgical intervention, sources told PTI.

Another source quoted doctors as saying that Sarabjit’s condition was measured as 5 on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), which indicates the level of damage to a person’s central nervous system. The lowest possible GCS score is 3 while the highest is 15.

The GCS assesses level of consciousness after a profound head injury and Sarabjit’s reading indicated deep unconsciousness, making his treatment a major neurosurgical challenge for the medical board set up by authorities. After the medical board examined Sarabjit again today, its members agreed it would not be possible to perform surgery on him at this stage.

Sarabjit is being kept in a separate intensive care unit in unprecedented police security and no one is being allowed to see him except doctors. However, first secretary in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad CS Das paid a visit to the hospital.

“Indian officials were given access to Sarabjit Singh only once. Thereafter, there has been no access to Sarabjit,” an official of the Indian High Commission told PTI. “The matter has been taken up with the Pakistani side and the Foreign Office has been requested to give us regular consular access to Sarabjit Singh,” said the official.

Sarabjit has been on death row in Pakistan since 1990 after being convicted by Pakistani courts for bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan, which left 14 people dead. His family claims he is innocent, and that he crossed over to Pakistan in August 1990 in an inebriated state, and was arrested there.

Though the government had said it would allow one of Sarabjit’s family members to stay in a room within Jinnah Hospital, the four women left for a hotel on the Mall Road after visiting the ICU. The family had last met Sarabjit in jail in 2008 while Dalbir Kaur had visited him again in jail in 2011.

Prayer on lips, hope in the heart

Prior to leaving for Pakistan, Sarabjit’s family offered prayers at the Golden Temple and took along ‘amrit’ from the Dukhbhanjani Beri. His sister Dalbir Kaur said, “The ‘amrit’ has spiritual power which will resurrect my brother, who is battling for his life in the neighbouring country. We hope to bring him back hale and hearty.”

We never imagined we would have to visit him under such circumstances. We are taking with us the prayers of crores of countrymen and are hopeful of his quick recovery.

Swapandeep & Poonam, Sarabjit’s daughters

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130429/main1.htm

Dawn – Treason petition filed against Rehman Malik in Supreme Court

Karachi, 18 December 2012. A petition was filed against Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s tour of India, alleging illegal use of taxpayers’ money for the tour and for offering hospitality to the family of Sarabjit Singh at the Karachi registry of the Supreme Court on Tuesday, DawnNews reported.

The petitioner has called for the recovery of the expenses incurred on Malik’s tour, stating that the funds utilised for the tour were spent from the national treasury and therefore, should be returned by the federal interior minister.

The petition also claimed that Malik caused great embarrassment to the people of Pakistan by announcing that visas would be granted to the family members of the jailed Indian spy, Sarabjit Singh, who is allegedly responsible for a large number of Pakistani deaths.

The petition added that the interior minister vowed to extend hospitality to Singh’s family, which was detrimental to national interests.

Moreover, the petition maintained the stance that the initiatives taken in India between the Indian delegation and Rehman Malik were illegal.

The petition requested the Supreme Court to try Rehman Malik for treason under Articles 5 and 6 of the Constitution.

http://dawn.com/2012/12/18/treason-petition-filed-against-rehman-malik-in-sc/

The Tribune – Sukhbir Badal hopeful of Sarabjit’s early release from Pakistan prison

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 12. A day after Sarabjit Singh signed a fresh mercy plea to be filed before Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said he was hopeful for early release of Sarabjit and other Indian prisoners lodged in various jails of Pakistan.

Talking to mediapersons after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple here, Sukhbir said he had raised the issue with Pakistani Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for release of Sarabjit and other Indian prisoners who have either completed their terms or were jailed for petty offences. He said he had requested Sharif to persuade their government for a positive consideration of mercy appeal of Sarabjit.

Sukhbir said he had impressed upon Sharif that Sarabjit had already completed 22-year jail term and it would be imperative for the Pakistan government to release him at the earliest. He said such a move would further cement India-Pakistan ties.

Earlier, inspecting the progress of the Golden Temple Entrance Plaza being constructed at the shrine, Sukhbir suggested that plaza should give the pictorial display of rich religious and cultural history of Sikhs to educate the younger people about their roots. He asked Amar Behl, who had conceptualised pictorial display at Virasat-e-Khalsa, to submit a plan in this regard. He also asked SGPC secretary to explore the possibility of light and sound show every evening on Sikh religion.

The Deputy Chief Minister was accompanied by Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia.

Harsimrat strongly reacted to Congress leader Digvijay Singh’s remarks where he compared Arvind Kejriwal with Rakhi Saawant. She said Digvijay’s remark reflected the “anti-women mindset” of the Congress leadership.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121113/punjab.htm#14

The Tribune – Release Sarabjit: Sukhbir to Pakistan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 8. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today made an impassioned appeal to Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to persuade his federal government to take positive steps for early release of Sarabjit Singh and other Indian prisoners lodged in jails in the neighbouring nation.

In a communiqué handed over to Sharif in Lahore, Badal said the people of Punjab had high hopes on his visit to Pakistan and they were eagerly awaiting a positive outcome, especially on the Indian prisoners’ issue.

Badal said various NGOs in Pakistan and India were collectively working to pursue these cases and much progress had been made in the case of Sarbjit Singh but his release was withheld after some technical problems. He said history had given an opportunity to the two nations to rewrite relations between two Punjabs’.

In an official statement, Sukhbir claimed that his efforts would prove catalytic in cementing bilateral ties.

Deputy CM seeks corridor to Kartarpur Sahib

Sukhbir has sought an early decision on the opening of a corridor from the Indian border side to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.

He also sought a positive decision on handing over of the management and control of gurdwaras located in Pakistan to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

He made these requests when he called on Sharif. He requested that the sentiments of the Sikh community were attached to gurdwaras located in Pakistan and he should request his federal government to give free access to Sikhs to pay obeisance in them.

He said the SGPC and the Punjab Government had been requesting the Union government and Pakistan to give a pilgrim corridor up to the gurdwara so that Indian pilgrims could have uninterrupted access to it. He also sought Sharif’s intervention for coming up with a plan for Sikh religious tourism circuit allowing Sikh pilgrims a visit to all gurdwaras in Pakistan.

Sukhbir paid obeisance at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, the martyrdom place of fifth Sikh Guru Arjan Dev.

Harsimrat too joins delegation in Pakistan

Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal and singer Hans Raj Hans joined the delegation from Punjab led by Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal.

Biryani, paneer saag at Lahore Food Street

A spontaneous visit by Sukhbir Badal and his Cabinet colleagues to the famous Lahore Food Street stumped everybody. A competition was seen among food hawkers to persuade Sukhbir to eact food in their shops. He enjoyed ‘gol-gappas’ and later had dinner. His meal comprised ‘biryani’, ‘paneer saag’, ‘haryali vegetable’, steamed ‘poori’ and ‘chana’.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121109/punjab.htm#1

The Tribune – Sarabjit Singh case, Hearing on lawyer’s plea on October 8

Lahore, September 27. A Pakistan court today adjourned till October 8 a petition filed by Sarabjit Singh’s lawyer Awais Sheikh, who contended that the authorities were not allowing him to meet Indian death row prisoner.

Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial of the Lahore High Court adjourned the hearing of the petition after a law officer of Punjab province sought time to seek instructions from the authorities concerned. Earlier, Sheikh told the court that the authorities were not allowing him to meet Sarabjit in Kot Lakhpat Jail. He asked the court to direct officials to allow him to meet Sarabjit.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge adjourned the matter till October 8. (PTI)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120928/punjab.htm#11

The Hindu – Guarded optimism as India, Pakistan hold talks today

A day before Krishna’s arrival, Islamabad provided consular access to Sarabjit Singh

Anita Joshua

Islamabad, 7 September 2012. Guarded optimism was the dominant mood here on Friday as India and Pakistan prepared for the foreign ministerial engagement on Saturday, capping the second round of the resumed dialogue process which till date has had little to show by way of results on the ground except a concerted effort on both sides to avoid hostile rhetoric.

But the improved atmospherics in which these talks are taking place is itself being flagged as an improvement in a relationship that is evolving on a slow burn mode; inching forward to dismantle the mechanisms of distrust built over six decades.

Though both Foreign Ministers were careful enough not to raise expectations in their interactions with the media, Interior Minister Rehman Malik in the evening announced that the visa agreement would be signed on Saturday. As of now, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna is scheduled to go to the Interior Ministry on Saturday to sign the agreement.

Ahead of the engagement, Pakistan also facilitated consular access to Sarabjit Singh, death row inmate in Punjab’s Kot Lakpat Jail. Amid reports suggesting that his life was under threat on the jail premises, he was granted consular access on Thursday; a day ahead of Mr. Krishna’s arrival. During his meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari, the Minister urged him to consider Sarabjit Singh’s mercy petition.

Another agreement on the cards pertains to cross-Line of Control confidence building measures. These include facilitating cross-LoC trade and travel, multiple entry permits, strengthening infrastructure in both Kashmirs, better communication links between the two sides and group tourism permits across the LoC.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, in a series of interactions with the media, stressed the need for India to have a more practical approach vis-à-vis the progress of the Mumbai terror attacks case trial here as the matter was now in court. And, to persistent references to the Mumbai terror attack trial, she flagged the Samjhauta Express blast issue, trying to once again draw a similarity between the two.

Maintaining that Pakistan had a region-first approach in foreign relations, she said a better and deeper relationship would eventually lead the two countries to ways and means to resolve all bilateral disputes, including the status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Upon arrival, Mr. Krishna reiterated India’s desire to see a stable and prosperous Pakistan living in peace with itself and the world. “That would be in the best interest of everyone,” he said. “We are committed to finding solutions for all issues that have beset our relationship through peaceful bilateral dialogue, while we look to the future where our two countries are able to live together in an atmosphere of friendliness and all-round cooperation, free from terror and violence.”

Mr. Krishna also called on Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf and met leaders of all constituents of the ruling coalition. During the meeting with the premier, both sides acknowledged that no country could afford to choose its neighbours and peaceful coexistence was the only option.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3870245.ece

The Tribune – Sarabjit’s sister meets Sonia

Tribune News Service

New Delhi/Amritsar, July 4. Dalbir Kaur, sister of Indian death-row convict Sarabjit Singh, today met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to seek her help for her brother’s release. Sarabjit has been languishing in a Pakistan jail for the past more than 20 years.

Maintaining that she could not express the pain that the family had experienced, Dalbir said Sonia Gandhi gave her a patient hearing and assured of all help. “Soniaji assured us of trying her best to get my brother back. She said the government is equally concerned about him,” said Dalbir.

Dalbir, who met Sonia at her residence, said she requested the Congress president to add the issue in the government’s political agenda to be taken up with Pakistan in the future.

Meanwhile, the family members of Sarabjeet Singh performed a yajna in Amritsar today to pray for his release from Pakistan jail. A number of social activists also attended the event.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120705/punjab.htm#4