India asks Pakistan to grant clemency to Sarabjit

The Indian Government today asked Pakistan to grant clemency to Sarabjit Singh, the Indian detenu, on humanitarian grounds.

New Delhi, Mar 18 : The Indian Government today asked Pakistan to grant clemency to Sarabjit Singh, the Indian detenu, on humanitarian grounds.

While making a suo motu statement on media reports that Sarabjit is to be hanged on April 1, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha that the Government has no formal intimation from the Pakistan Government about it and New Delhi has sought details from Islamabad in this regard.

"Our High Commission in Islamabad has sought details from the Government of Pakistan", Mukherjee said.

Noting that India and Pakistan had put in place certain institutional arrangements to improve the situation of prisoners of the respective countries, Mukherjee said "it is in this context and in the same spirit that we appeal to the Government of Pakistan to treat Sarabjit Singh's case with clemency on humanitarian grounds."

The Supreme Court of Pakistan had rejected Sarabjit's appeal for mercy in March 2006 and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf rejected his petition in March this year.

Sarabjit, convicted for the killing of 14 people in Pakistan in1991, has been in a Pakistan jail since then.

ANI