Pakistan suspects India's involvement in murder of Sarabjit Singh's killer

Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi suspected India's involvement in the killing of Amir Sarfaraz Tamba, an accused in the murder of Sarabjit Singh, the Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan.

Tamba, a close associate of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit founder Hafiz Saeed, was attacked by motorcycle-borne assailants at his residence in Sanant Nagar in Lahore. He was rushed in critical condition to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

“India was directly involved in a few murder incidents here in the past. Police are investigating this matter and it would be premature to say India's involvement in this (Tamba) case at this stage, however, they are suspecting India’s involvement. It has a similar pattern,” Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), told journalists on Monday.

The Indian government has not responded to the accusation yet.

Tamba and his accomplice Mudassar -- two Pakistani death row prisoners -- had allegedly attacked Singh, 49, in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail in 2013 resulting in his death. A Pakistani court in 2018, however, acquitted the duo in the murder case of Singh, citing “lack of evidence” against them.

Meanwhile, actor Randeep Hooda, who played the role of the Indian death row prisoner in the 2016 film Sarbjit reacted to the news on Monday as he posted: "KARMA. Thank you ‘Unknown Men’. Remembering my Sister Dalbir Kaur and sending love to Swapandeep and Poonam, today some justice to Martyr Sarabjit Singh has been served," on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account. He was referring to Singh's sister Dalbir Kaur, who died in 2022, and his daughters Swapandeep and Poonam.

Credit: X/@RandeepHooda

Dalbir Kaur had fought a long battle to secure her brother's release from Pakistan but failed.

(With PTI inputs)