Pak court adjourns Sarabjit Singh's lawyers's petition

Lahore, Sept 27: A Pakistani court adjourned till Oct 8 a petition filed by

lawyer Awais Sheikh, who contended that authorities were not allowing him to meet Indian death row prisoner.

Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial of the Lahore High Court adjourned the hearing of the petition after a law officer of Punjab province sought time to seek instructions from concerned authorities.

Earlier, Sheikh told the court that authorities were not allowing him to meet Sarabjit in Kot Lakhpat Jail. He asked the court to direct officials to allow him to meet Sarabjit. After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge adjourned the matter till Oct 8.

Sarabjit was convicted for alleged involvement in a string of bombings in 1990 that killed 14 people. His family says he is a farmer and the victim of mistaken identity. Sarabjit's relatives said he strayed into Pakistan in an inebriated state three months after the bombings.

Following the intervention of the Pakistan People's Party-led government at the centre, Sarabjit's execution was put off indefinitely. He recently submitted a fresh mercy petition to President Asif Ali Zardari.

PTI