Kalam promises efforts for Sarabjit's release

New Delhi, Apr 12: President A P J Abdul Kalam today assured death row convict Sarabjit's family that he would personally talk to his Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf and National Assembly members there on behalf of the Government of India for his release.

Dr Kalam also said all possible efforts would be made for the safe release of Sarabjit, Ms Dalbir Kaur (Sarabjit's sister) told mediapersons at the Rashtrapati Bhawan soon after meeting the President here this morning.

''In his nearly 20-minute meeting, the President heard us patiently and sympathetically and said the Centre was taking steps to get Sarabjit back to India and that he would take personal initiative in talking to Pakistan Assembly members and President Musharraf in this regard.''

To the family's request that they be allowed to go to meet Sarabjit in Pakistan, the President said they could leave a separate request for a passport at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, said Ms Kaur.

Calling the rumour of Sarabjit having embraced Islam to further his clemency chances as a 'dirty joke', Ms Kaur said it was being spread to dampen the spirit of Sikhs and all Indians who were relentlessly backing her efforts to get him released.

''I have talked to his lawyer there and have received a letter from Sarabjit which denied these rumours in toto,'' she said.

Ms Kaur who was accompanied by her neice Poonam (Sarabjit's daughter) and her lawyer Sunanda Ratan also asked for legal help from the government, that would include renowned lawyer Ram Jethmalani, in her request to the President.

She also said her earlier announcement that the family would commit suicide if Sarabjit was sent to the gallows in Pakistan stood suspended after the President's assurance.

However, Sarabjit's wife Sukhpreet Kaur could not accompany them to Kaur to meet the President as she could not get leave, informed Ms Kaur. Poonam told reporters that she petitioned the President that his few words could save the life of her father who was innocent. An emotional Ms Kaur also said Sarabjit had been 'framed' by Pakistan's intelligence agencies and was sentenced without any proof of his involvement or witness.

''No one in Pakistan had come before the court to claim that they had seen Sarabjit on the spot of blasts or he was in any way involved in them,''she said.

Legally, in Pakistan the President could pardon a convict if the victim's family consented to the clemency call made by him or his family.

Sarabjit, who faces the gallows after being convicted by the Pakistan Supreme Court for carrying out serial blasts in Karachi in 1990, has also filed a mercy petition with the Pakistani President.

She said her family expected that India formally send a request letter to the Pakistan government, seeking clemency for Sarabjit, as he was innocent and a victim of ''mistaken identity''.

''He had accidentally strayed into Pakistani territory in a drunken stupor from their border village,'' she added.

UNI