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Journalism of Courage
Sarabjits predicament points to a shared tragedy on both sides of the border
With Sarabjit Singh battling for life in a Lahore hospital after he was attacked by prisoners in Kot Lakhpat Jail,sections of the political class and electronic media have used the opportunity to raise the pitch against Pakistan,howling for diplomatic costs to the country. They might as well be talking to shadows. With the poll process under way in Pakistan,there is no government in place,no political dispensation to target or blame. Moreover,Sarabjits predicament is symptomatic of a shared failure that has endured through successive regimes in both countries. He is one of several hundred prisoners who have languished for decades on the wrong side of the border,seemingly outside the pale of due process,often held hostage to the vagaries of bilateral ties.
In January 2012,Pakistan released 180 Indian prisoners,mostly fishermen,as a New Years gift. Most of the prisoners marooned on either side,however,wait for repatriation years after they have finished serving out their sentences,tangled in bureaucratic hurdles. Some lack the papers to prove their nationality,and are forced to remain in exile as the government of their native country refuses to claim them. To be sure,a distinction must be made between prisoners jailed on serious terror charges and ordinary prisoners,including fishermen who had unwittingly strayed across the border. In the case of ordinary prisoners,the two countries must exchange information on arrests,ensure them consular access and help them establish their nationalities. Even those held on terror charges,like Sarabjit,deserve a quicker,more transparent justice.
