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| Sarabjit execution stayed indefinitely | | | Lahore | May 3
The Pakistan government has postponed “till further order” the execution of Sarabjit Singh, who is on death row, his lawyer said last night.
“Yes, it has been postponed till further orders by the government of Pakistan and the President of Pakistan”, said Rana Abdul Hameed.
Senior Interior Ministry official Kamal Shah said that Sarabjit’s execution process has been halted.The lawyer said there were chances that Sarabjit’s death could be commuted to life imprisonment and since he has already served life sentence, he might be released.
Arrested and tried on charges of triggering bomb blasts in Lahore in 1990, Sarabjit has been languishing in Pakistani prisons for the last 18 years.
AFP quoted Malik Mubashir Ahmad Khan, superintendent of Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail, as reading out an Interior Ministry order, which said, “The execution of Indian national, Sarabjit Singh is stayed till further order.”
Rana Hameed told Indian TV channels that there were chances that Sarabjit would be pardoned by the government, by the President of Pakistan.
Singh, whose family say he is the victim of mistaken identity, was to be hanged on April 1 after being convicted of involvement in 1990 blasts.
However, President Pervez Musharraf, who had earlier rejected a mercy petition, delayed execution until April 30.
The stay of execution, which jail authorities received yesterday, came days after Sarabjit’s wife, daughters and sister visited him in the Lahore jail.
Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur said she has no words to thank the Pakistan government for indefinite postponement of the execution of her brother and it indicated that the government has made up its mind to grant clemency to him. |
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