Burney ''happy'' to meet Kashmir Singh's re-united family

Nangal Choran, Hoshiarpur, Apr 5 (UNI) Member of UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee Ansar Burney today said he was extremely happy to see the re-united family of Kashmir Singh.

Mr Burney, accompanied by his wife Shaheen and son Fahid had come to village Nangal Choran, 20 Km from here today to meet Kashmir Singh, who had recently joined his family after languishing 35-years in various jails of Pakistan as a result of the former Pakistan minister's crusade.

After meeting Kashmir Singh and his family members, Mr Burney said, ''he was very happy and was feeling that he had come to his home and was meeting with his own kin''.

Kashmir Singh and his family expressed ''heartfelt gratitude'' for Mr Burney for affording them ''a new lease life,'' and extended the traditional Punjabi hospitality to the guests.

The Burney family enjoyed the popular Punjabi dish of ''Sarson Ka Saag and Makki Di Roti'' with Kashmir's family.

''The love and affection given not only by Kashmir Singh's family but also by the people of India is unforgettable'', Mr Burney later said.

On the occasion, Punjab Minister for Public Relations Bikramjit Singh Majithia presented a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to Kashmir Singh and his wife Paramjit Kaur issued by the state government for the construction of their house.

Announcing a grant of Rs 3 lakh for the development of the village Nangal Choran, Majithia said that process had been initiated to provide government job to Kashmir Singh's son as announced by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Later, while addressing the villagers who had gathered in large numbers to greet him, Mr Burney said, ''I will make any type of sacrifice for serving the suffering humanity and will continue my struggle to get liberated innocent persons still languishing in jails.'' He also emphasised the need to ''exposing and launching a joint campaign against those forces which exploit feelings of people of Pakistan and India for creating hatred against each other'' and said there was no ''enmity between peoples of the neighbouring countries''.

UNI XC JN JS2004