Musharraf says he will accept Kashmir Singhs mercy petition

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said that the mercy petition of Kashmir Singh (Ibrahim), who has been languishing in a Pakistani prison for the last 35 years, would be accepted.

Lahore, Feb 29 : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said that the mercy petition of Kashmir Singh (Ibrahim), who has been languishing in a Pakistani prison for the last 35 years, would be accepted.

Caretaker Federal Minister for Human Rights Ansar Burney said that the petition has been forwarded to Musharraf.

Burney said he apprised the President that Kashmir Singh had gone through more punishment than he was awarded for his crime.

He said Kashmir Singh was a constable in Amritsar. After losing his job, Burney said, Singh had been involved in smuggling.

Burney said Kashmir Singh was arrested along with one of his accomplices in Rawalpindi on smuggling charges in 1973.

Kashmir Singh was given the death sentence by a military court while his accomplice was awarded 10-year imprisonment on espionage charges. Later, Singh's accomplice was repatriated to India after completion of his imprisonment.

He said Singh was the eldest among siblings (three brothers and a sister) and had married his childhood love at the age of 16. He had two sons and a daughter. He was arrested 10 years after his marriage.

The minister said Singh had been kept in various jails of the Punjab, including 14 years in Sahiwal, 10 years in Multan, Mianwali and Lahore prisons. He said, "Nowadays, Singh is languishing in Lahore Jail."

Later, Kashmir Singh embraced Islam and was named Ibrahim. The minister said Singh's family had been located and he would be released soon.

ANI