Guru’s execution affects Sarabjit’s mercy appeal

Singh’s sister deems the execution to be inhumane.

LAHORE: The execution of Mohammad Afzal Guru not only brings bad news for Kashimiris who believe that the suspected militant was framed, but also casts doubts over the future of an Indian prisoner held in Pakistan.

Now after over two decades of wait, Sarabjit Singh’s family seems to be losing hope.

In a telephonic conversation with The Express Tribune Sarabjit’s sister Dalbeer Kaur, stated that the family now feared that Guru’s execution will heighten tensions between the countries and Sarabjit might never be allowed to come back to India.



“Both the countries should act wisely and Pakistan should not respond hastily,” she said.

Kaur added that both the governments had released prisoners in the past which should be continued to overcome the trust deficit between the states.

Kaur deemed the execution inhumane, pledging to protest against the Indian government’s decision to hang Guru. “I raised my voice for the release of Dr Khalil Chishti and now I will protest for Guru”.

“If only Guru’s case was thoroughly investigated he would not have been hanged,” she said adding that there were serious discrepancies in the investigations.

She said that in cases such as these the accused are usually given a benefit of doubt but in the case of India and Pakistan, these accused persons are only tried as citizens of an enemy state.

“This is a murder on behalf of the government...He could have been sentenced for life. What message does the government want to send”?

Meanwhile, Sarabjit’s counsel Advocate Awais Sheikh maintained that the Indian government did not hang Guru on the pretext that he was a Pakistani. He added that since Guru was a Kashmiri the right wing parties of Pakistan should not demand Sarabjit to be hanged as a response to Guru’s execution.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2013.