Press Note

•PUCL, (Rajasthan) condemns the brutal attack on Sarabjit Singh in Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore
•Demands a fair enquiry and criminal cases against the culprits so that defenceless Sarabjit and his family gets Justice
•Demands that Government of India and Pakistan step up security of the prisoners of either side
•Urges Pakistan Government to send Sarabjit abroad for good treatment and send him back home to India.

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Rajasthan condemns the brutal life threatening attack on Sarabjit Singh, Indian Prisoner on death row in Pakistan, which resulted in him going into deep coma with his present condition deteriorating fast. We are shocked that co-prisoners were allowed into his ward by the Kot Lakhpat jail authorities with bricks and other sharp edged instruments like blades and pieces of teen sheets, causing serious head injuries. Prima Facie according to the PUCL there seems to be connivance of the Jail authorities in this murderous attack on Sarabjit.

He was vulnerable not only because of the crime that he had allegedly committed, being on death row for a terrorist crime, but also because of his nationality being Indian, belonging to a county with whom Pakistan has serious hostilities. After the killing of another Indian prisoner Chamel Singh in the same jail by co-prisoners, security should have been raised for all Indian Prisoners. As it is the PUCL is against the death penalty in any case; and causing death by lynching that too of a defenceless person in custody is most heinous of the crimes against humanity and civilisational values.

While we are happy that the Government of Pakistan has instituted an enquiry, the PUCL demands that it be a fair enquiry and criminal cases be lodged against the culprits so that Sarabjit gets justice. The PUCL would also like to reiterate that International norms on prisoners safety ought to be implemented ensuring sufficient Jail staff and security personnel around a foreign prisoners. We hope that security has been stepped up by the Pakistani authorities for all Indian Prisoners languishing in Pakistani Jail so that no other Indian Prisoners fate will be that of Chamel Singh and Sarabjit.

The PUCL fears repercussion of this in India and would appeal to the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs to issue an advisory to all State Governments to ensure protection of Pakistani Prisoners in their States so that such incidents are not repeated. The PUCL would also like to appeal to the Government of Rajasthan that security should be raised for all the Pakistani prisoners in the various jails of the State.

What is very disturbing and tragic in the Sarabjit case is that both he and his family had been waiting eagerly for the last 22 years, since September of 1990 for his return to his home, farms and his homeland. They may now never see that day, with his condition continuously deteriorating and reports of him being declared brain dead. Sarabjit was a clear case of mistaken identity with enough evidence showing that the Trial court, Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan refused to enquire into the grey areas of the case. The principle in criminal trials of proof beyond reasonable doubt, had not been established as there were several gaps, as such his mercy petitions should have been accepted by the President of Pakistan and his sentence commuted to life with him being allowed to go home. The PUCL had appealed several times towards this.

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties, appeals to the Government of Pakistan to send Sarabjit for the best available treatment in any country with more advance medical facilities available in order to save his life. Incase, he his brain dead, then he should brought back to his home in Amritsar so that his family can be with him in the last moments of his life.

We are,

Prem Krishan Sharma (President), Radha Kant Saxena (Vice President), Nishat Hussein ( Vice President), DL Tripathi (Vice President), Sawai Singh and Anant Bhatnagar (Organising Secretaries) Kavita Srivastava (General Secretary)

Address for Correspondence: 76, Shanti Niketan Colony, Kisan Marg, Jaipur -302015Phone No: 0141/ 2594131, 09351562965; pucl.rajasthan@gmail.com