Whatever may be the outcome of appeals and medical treatment to Sarabjit Singh in Jinnah Hospital in Pakistan, the attackers on Sarabjit Singh must be given severe punishment besides ensuring to stop the repetition of such incidents.
Brutal attack on Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan Kot Lakhpat jail shocked many in India. The death row convict is currently in coma and has been admitted to a hospital in Lahore. However, this was not first time when the Indian prisoner was attacked by his fellow inmates inside the prison. Sarabjit earlier had altercation with his attackers who had tried to kill him but failed in their attempt.
Sarabjit was convicted for alleged involvement in a string of bomb attacks in Punjab province that killed 14 people in 1990. His mercy petitions were rejected by the courts and former President Pervez Musharraf. The outgoing Pakistan Peoples Party-led government put off Sarabjit's execution for an indefinite period in 2008. Sarabjit's family says he is the victim of mistaken identity and had inadvertently strayed across the border in an inebriated state.
Despite appeal from the Government, family of Sarabjit Singh and various social organisatons, the Pakistan government has refused to send Sarbjit Singh to India. This was not even expected as Pakistan government is not in a position to deal with the situation on this decision. But it was definite that after the death sentence of Afzal Kasab in India, some untoward incidents could happen with the Indian prisoners in Pakistan jails. The possibility of Sarbjit Singh becoming the first victim could be possible as he was being equated with Kasab, in India.
The only big difference is that Kasab was caught red-handed on the day of incident on 26/11 whereas there is no authentic proof against Sarabjit Singh and that is why, he is being considered as a victim of mistaken identity. According to family members of Sarabjit Singh crossed the Indian Border under the influence of liquor where he was arrested but Pakistan Rangers were looking for Manjit Singh and all charges were framed on him. The same thing is also happening India also and the person like Sarbjit Singh are entangled in the game between politics and staunch. It is said that there are hundreds of prisoners in Pakistan and Indian jails who inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan or fishermen who were arrested for crossing the sea boundary. It is also alleged some prisoners are those who overstayed on the expiry of visas. All those prisoners are facing the trials and punishment in Pakistan jails on account of hate and mistrust between the two countries and there is a need to think over this issue on humanitarian grounds.
No-doubt, both the Human Rights and Judicial Commissions of both the countries have already said that the citizens of both the countries crossed over to each other boundaries inadvertently or for some minor violations, should be sent back to their respective countries but the politics does not allow this and Pakistan is facing the problem for giving importance to religious bodies and is now so involved in political chaos, anarchy and is being governed by the religious bodies.
India has shown due respect to the judiciary of Pakistan despite opposing the death sentence awarded to Sarabjit Singh and it is necessary that this respect is maintained and it could only be possible, if the Pakistan gives the severe punishment to the attackers on Sarabjit Singh besides ensuring to stop the repetition of such incidents.
(Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author in this article are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of City Air News.)