Afzal's family meets Kalam 'seeking justice'

New Delhi, Oct 5: Parliament attack conspirator Mohammad Afzal's family today met President A P J Abdul Kalam seeking clemency for the convict who is to be hanged later this month.

A family member later told mediapersons after the 10-minute audience with Dr Kalam at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here that the President ''has assured us that he would look into the matter''.

The President, Afzal's wife Tabassum claimed, said he would read the petition and look into the matter.

Ms Tabassum, who was accompanied by Afzal's mother Ayesha Begum, son Ghalib and their two counsels, Nandita Haksar and N D Pancholi, met the President at 1345 hrs.

''I told the President that Afzal did not get justice at the lower court and High Court and so we had come to him to seek justice.'' How could anyone get a fair deal when he didn't even have a proper lawyer to defend himself, Ms Tabassum said she told Dr Kalam.

Denying that Afzal was against them petitioning for mercy, Ms Tabassum, in reply to a query, said, ''He was not against us filing the mercy petition, but he himself did not seek mercy as he had not got justice at the hands of the court. I have faith on the President,'' she added.

I hope to get justice as the President heard us patiently, she said adding ''India is a democratic country and we must get justice.'' On her son's chat with the President, Ms Tabassum said Ghalib said he wanted to be a doctor and if his father was alive, he could realise his ambition.

Afzal's mother Ayesha, who spoke in Kashmiri, told mediapersons that she wanted the President to pardon her son.

Meanwhile, counsel Nandita Haksar said after Afzal's son Ghalib learnt about his father being hanged, he came home, tied a rope to the fan and tried to hang himself saying he wanted to know how much 'abbu' would be hurt if he was hanged.

A security official later confirmed that 'all five' were present during the 10-minute long meeting with the President.

However, Afzal's brothers, Aijaz and Hilal, did not even accompany the family to the Rashtrapati Bhawan premises.

Yesterday, Afzal's counsel Mr Pancholi had said, ''Both had not given their names in the petition which had a request to meet the President.'' On October 3, Afzal's family had submitted a mercy petition at Rashtrapati Bhawan seeking clemency for the accused and sought an appointment from the President. The petition was in the name of Afzal's wife Tabassum.

The family had later met Afzal at Tihar Central Jail the same day.

UNI

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