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Journalism of Courage
The government, after finishing its homework on Sarabjit Singh who was pronounced death sentence by the Pakistan Supreme Court on charges of 8220;spying8221;, is all set to take up his case, with Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran expected to carry the facts to Islamabad when he will go there on August 30.
Saran will visit Pakistan for a wrap-up meeting of two rounds of Indo-Pak composite dialogue with his counterpart Riyaz Mohd Khan.
In fact, Indian High Commissioner Shiv Shankar Menon met Khan today is understood to have discussed the Sarabjit issue.
The decision to take up Sarabjit8217;s case was taken after two intelligence chiefs 8212;- E R S Narasimhan, Director IB, and P K H Tharakkan, Secretary RAW 8212;- confirmed that Singh was not their employee or agent. Earlier, the government had asked both the agencies for their inputs on Singh 8212;- if he was involved in any of their operations or whether he was on their pay-roll. The government was told that he had actually strayed across the border.
Saran is also expected to raise the issue of other Indians, including 54 PoWs whose existence is denied by the Islamabad, in Pakistan jails. This issue also came up for discussion during the composite dialogue between the two countries. The issue of granting consular access to them was also taken up during their last meeting in December last.
Reports suggested that Sarabjit Singh had not yet been given consular access which Indian High Commission in Islamabad had asked for.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri today said Pakistan and India should soften procedures to accord more humane treatment to prisoners from each other8217;s side.
