SC admits Sarabjit sister’s petition

Sarabjit Singh,an Indian national,is on the death row in Pakistan for his alleged role in the 1990 serial bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan that killed 14 people.

This is for the first time that an Indian court has intervened in the case of Sarabjit,who is languishing in Pakistan’s Kot Lakhpat Jail for more than two decades now.

Dalbir Kaur had filed the petition on April 27 under section 32 of the Constitution and had urged the court to issue directions to the Union government to take up his brother’s release with Pakistan.

The writ petition was filed through Arvind Sharma,counsel in the famous Gopal Das case. The Supreme Court’s appeal to Pakistan had resulted in the release of Das in April this year,27 years after he was held on spying charges.

“Admitting the writ petition,the Supreme Court has issued show cause notice to the Government of India. We can now pressure the government to take up the matter with Pakistan,” Sharma said over the phone.

“After today’s notice,the true picture will emerge on how seriously the Indian government took up the matter with their Pakistani counterparts for the release of my brother. It will be clear now whether they (government) did or did not take up the matter (of Sarabjit’ release) with Pakistan,” Kaur said over the phone from New Delhi.

Claiming that Sarabjit is innocent and has been falsely held guilty in a case of mistaken identity,Kaur has been running from pillar to post,meeting leaders of almost all the political parties for securing his release.

“Whenever I took up the matter with the government,there was nothing substantial than mere lip service. I hope that would now change after court’s directions today,” said Kaur.