The kin of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, who is on death row in a Lahore jail, on Sunday expressed gratitude to the Pakistan government for proposing to President Pervez Musharraf that all death sentences be commuted to life imprisonment.
“We are extremely grateful to the Pakistan government for making this proposal. We are also very grateful to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee for making such a beautifully worded appeal for the sake of Sarabjit,” his sister Dalbir Kaur said.
Dalbir Kaur, along with Sarabjit’s wife and two daughters, will leave for Pakistan on April 23. They will be in Pakistan for seven days and expressed hope to meet Pakistan leaders including Musharraf, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari.
The family will be making an application in the Pakistan High Commission on Monday for permission to meet Sarabjit in jail.
Kaur said former Pakistan human rights minister Ansar Burney had promised the family that he would appeal to President Musharraf for Sarabjit’s release.
Sarabjit, who Pakistan claims is Manjit Singh, was sentenced to death in 1991 for his alleged involvement in four bomb blasts in Punjab province that killed 14 people.
His mercy petition was rejected by Musharraf on March 3.
Sarabjit’s execution was deferred for 30 days by Musharraf last month. He was originally set to be hanged on April 1.