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| No prisoner exchange for Sarabjit: Minister | | |
New Delhi | Mar 20
India has sent a strong message to Pakistan that no prisoner will be exchanged for Sarabjit Singh.This message from India follows speculation that New Delhi is pulling out all stops to secure clemency for the Indian prisoner on death row.
Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said, ''If somebody was to be released, he has been released. But Sarabjit's case is different. We have appealed to the Pakistan government and we hope that Pakistan will listen to our appeal. Nobody will be released in exchange.''
Following pressure from senior diplomats involved in the peace process, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had put off Sarabjit's hanging by a month on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Pakistan issued a statement, expressing hope that the Indian prisoner, who is on death row for alleged involvement in terrorist attacks, would be granted clemency on humanitarian grounds.
''The government of India continues to hope that Sarabjit Singh will be granted clemency on humanitarian grounds,'' said a statement issued by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
''The reprieve now allows time for the appeals for clemency to be given proper consideration from all angles, including by the new government expected to take office in Pakistan soon,'' it said.
The statement said the Indian government was ''pleased to learn that Sarabjit Singh's execution has been stayed''.
''The news was received with appreciation in the Indian Parliament on Wednesday. Sarabjit Singh's family has also expressed its gratitude for all the support received for Sarabjit's cause,'' it said.
The breather for Sarabjit coincided with the release by India of Pakistani national Jamal Qureshi, who was arrested in India in October 2005 on charges of spying and possessing fake currency.
Qureshi was handed over to Pakistani authorities at the Wagah land border on Wednesday after being acquitted by a fast-track court in Uttar Pradesh.
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