Indian national Surjeet Singh, who was convicted in Pakistan in 1985 for spying, will be repatriated within three months, officials here said.
“Surjeet Singh would be freed by Kot Lakhpat Jail within three months and directions have also been issued for his expeditious repatriation,” said a government official.
Singh was awarded the death penalty but it was later commuted to a life term by the President. He has served more than the 25 years of his jail term.
Earlier, the Punjab home department told the Lahore high court that Surjeet Singh would be sent home within three months. During the course of the hearing, a provincial law officer submitted a home department letter stating that directions had been issued for arrangements to send Singh to his motherland.
He informed the court that the process would be completed within three months.
Advocate Awais Sheikh filed the petition and submitted that he had held a meeting with the jail superintendent who admitted that Surjeet Singh, alias Makhan Singh, was in his jail and had served more than the 25 years of his jail term.
He said Singh’s daughter, Kalvindar Kaur, had told him that she had already sent proof of her father’s identity and that she was ready to send DNA reports to prove she was his daughter.
Advocate Awais Sheikh said the continuous detention of Surjeet Singh was illegal and unlawful and sought the release and repatriation of Surjeet Singh.
After the Pakistan government’s reply, Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik sought a progress report in this regard and adjourned the hearing to July 9.