PC rests hopes on Sarabjit release

Jun 27, 2012 |

Thiruvananthapuram

Union home minister P. Chidambaram has dismissed suggestions that Pakistan’s sudden about-turn on prisoner Sarabjit Singh’s release was related to the capture of Mumbai-terror-accused Abu Jundal.

Talking to the media here on Wednesday, the home minister however added that he was not sure why Sarabjit’s name was first announced and then replaced with another prisoner, Surjeet Singh. “May be there were some internal hiccups.”

Four hours after an order was issued to release Sarabjit “immediately,” the Pakistani establishment did a midnight U-turn declaring Surjeet Singh as the free bird.

Chidambaram said India would continue to press for the release of Sarabjit, a death row convict whose sentence was commuted by Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari and who had been languishing in a Pakistan jail for the last 22 years.

Information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni said Sarabjit had already served more than the mandatory years required for a life term.

“Surjeet has now been released on the ground that he had served many years in prison after his death sentence was commuted,” Ambika Soni said.

His death sentence having been commuted in 2004, he had spent more time in jail. “We would press the Pakistan government to view the matter sensitively and release both Surjeet and Sarabjit,” she added.

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