Sarabjeet clemency: Can Veena Malik help send him home?
Veteran Indian actor Raza Murad will seek Veena Malik's help in securing convicted Indian spy's release.
Veteran Indian actor, Raza Murad has sought Pakistani actor Veena Malik's support in securing the release of Sarabjeet Singh, an Indian Raw agent sentenced to death for conducting a series of bomb blasts in Pakistan, Express News reported on Wednesday.
Singh has been languishing in Pakistan jails for more than 20 years after having been convicted of staging four bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan in 1990 that claimed 14 lives.
The Times of India reported that Raza Murad had met with Singh’s family while visiting Amritsar over the weekend. Describing the experience as heartrendering, Murad said that “The suffering that Sarabjit's wife Sukhprit Kaur and his two daughters have undergone shook me to the core.”
This, Murad said, prompted him to launch a campaign, 'Sarabjeet Bachao Adolan' to rescue Singh. While Veena Malik is being approached, the veteran actor will also be writing letters to high officials in the Indian and Pakistani governments along with using his regular column space to campaign for his release.
“Plan involves participation of the entire Punjab entertainment industry. I'm also framing letters to the Indian prime minister and the president. Letters to the Pakistan's prime minister and president are being sent through the Pakistani embassy, as too our memorandum of protest through the Ministry of External Affairs."
He also aims to convince Salman Khan, Shatrughan Sinha, Raj Babbar and people from the Pakistani film industry to help him in this campaign.
Earlier on Wednesday, Advocate Awais Sheikh, who represents Singh, said that he anticipated a favourable decision by President Asif Ali Zardari on Singh’s fresh mercy petition.
(Read: Bright prospects of Sarabjeet Singh’s release: Counsel)
Pakistan has been willing to let Singh return home in a synchronised move with the release of Pakistani octogenarian Dr Khalil Chishty, who too has been languishing in an Indian prison for the past 19 years on a murder charge. Dr Chishty’s release too remains pending the clearance of a mercy plea.
Singh has been languishing in Pakistan jails for more than 20 years after having been convicted of staging four bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan in 1990 that claimed 14 lives.
The Times of India reported that Raza Murad had met with Singh’s family while visiting Amritsar over the weekend. Describing the experience as heartrendering, Murad said that “The suffering that Sarabjit's wife Sukhprit Kaur and his two daughters have undergone shook me to the core.”
This, Murad said, prompted him to launch a campaign, 'Sarabjeet Bachao Adolan' to rescue Singh. While Veena Malik is being approached, the veteran actor will also be writing letters to high officials in the Indian and Pakistani governments along with using his regular column space to campaign for his release.
“Plan involves participation of the entire Punjab entertainment industry. I'm also framing letters to the Indian prime minister and the president. Letters to the Pakistan's prime minister and president are being sent through the Pakistani embassy, as too our memorandum of protest through the Ministry of External Affairs."
He also aims to convince Salman Khan, Shatrughan Sinha, Raj Babbar and people from the Pakistani film industry to help him in this campaign.
Earlier on Wednesday, Advocate Awais Sheikh, who represents Singh, said that he anticipated a favourable decision by President Asif Ali Zardari on Singh’s fresh mercy petition.
(Read: Bright prospects of Sarabjeet Singh’s release: Counsel)
Pakistan has been willing to let Singh return home in a synchronised move with the release of Pakistani octogenarian Dr Khalil Chishty, who too has been languishing in an Indian prison for the past 19 years on a murder charge. Dr Chishty’s release too remains pending the clearance of a mercy plea.