Badal thanks Pak Minister for Kashmir Singh's return

Chandigarh, Mar 4 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal thanked Pakistan Human Rights Minister Ansar Burney for his personal efforts in securing the release of Kashmir Singh, the Indian prisoner from Hoshiarpur district who returned home today.

Mr Badal had a telephonic conversation with Mr Burney to express his gratitude for the safe return of the prisoner, who was on death row and returned home after 35 years in detention.

According to the CMs media advisor Harcharan Bains, the Chief Minister requested Mr Burney to show the same compassion to secure the release of another Indian prisoner, Sarabjit Singh who too had been sentenced to death in Pakistan. He invited Mr Burney to visit Punjab so that Punjabis could ''repay his debt''.

The CM in his conversation conveyed to Mr Burney that there was a need for more such Confidence Building Measures between the two countries.

Meanwhile the CM announced that the government would honour Kashmir Singh and his family. The family of Kashmir would decide on the time and place for the honour, he added.

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