Sarabjit Singh's case will be considered, says Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari

Islamabad: Bringing some hope to the family of Sarabjit Singh, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has assured that he will consider the case of the Indian prisoner, who has been on death row in the country for over 20 years. According to sources, Mr Zardari has asked officials to take note of the details of Sarabjit's case, after External Affairs Minister SM Krishna raised the issue during a meeting between the two leaders on Friday.

Yesterday, Pakistan also gave Indian authorities a special consular access to Sarabjit, following his complaints of ill treatment in jail.

49-year-old Sarabjit Singh, who is from Bikhiwind in Punjab, is currently being held at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. He was convicted and sentenced to death for his alleged involvement in a string of bombings in Punjab in 1990 that killed 14 people.

Ironically, Mr Zardari's assurance comes two months after the Pakistan government did a flip-flop on the Indian prisoner's release. On June 26, hours after Pakistan media reported that Sarabjit had been granted a presidential pardon by Mr Zardari, the government clarified that authorities had taken steps for the release of another Indian prisoner named Surjeet Singh.

The goof-up had sparked debate about whether Pakistani media made a mistake, or if the government was pressured by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) or the Pakistani army to reverse its decision to release Sarabjit, whose case has prompted campaigns by human rights activists, including Pakistan's Ansar Burney.

Since then, the Indian government had stepped up efforts for the release of Sarabjit. His family also met Mr Krishna, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other leaders to seek intervention for Sarabjit's release.

In May this year, Sarabjit sent a fresh clemency appeal to President Zardari, a fifth one seeking a pardon. Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the matter would be decided according to the law.

(With inputs from PTI)

India, Pakistan hold 'positive talks' ahead of foreign ministers' meet

Islamabad: Terrorism figured in great detail during Friday's meeting between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan who discussed all aspects of the resumed dialogue, ahead of a meeting between their Foreign Ministers on Saturday.

Both India and Pakistan maintained that the talks, lasting for over two hours, were "positive" and "frank".

"Talks were positive and very good. We had an overview of issues before Foreign Minister-level talks and now we will brief our Ministers," Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani told PTI.

The talks between Mr Jilani and his Indian counterpart Ranjan Mathai was a preparatory meeting to finalise the agenda for the parleys between External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, who arrived on Friday, and Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.

Syed Akbaruddin, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said, "The talks were cordial, frank and very positive. They discussed all aspects of the resumed dialogue and reviewed the entire expanse of the discussions held so far."

He said that the two sides acknowledged that progress has been made in bilateral relations but agreed that "much more needs to be done".

Sources said terrorism "certainly figured" in great detail, with India referring to the slow trial of Mumbai terror attack.

The Foreign Secretaries also reviewed the outcome of the working group of the Joint Commission, held on Thursday, and will now report to their Ministers, Akbaruddin said.

In Friday's meeting, the Indian delegation, led by Mr Mathai, included Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Yash Sinha, and other senior officials.

Krishna meets Ashraf
Mr Krishna today called on Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf who said that the country was looking forward to a visit by his counterpart Manmohan Singh.

Mr Krishna and Mr Pervez talked about ways to carry forward Indo-Pak relations, sources privy to the meeting said. Mr Ashraf conveyed that Pakistan was looking forward to a visit by the Indian Prime Minister, sources said.

Pakistan Foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar was also present during the over 20-minute meeting.

Leaders from Pakistan's three main political parties called on Mr Krishna, and discussed issues ranging from the resumed dialogue process and trade.

Liberalised visa agreement to be signed today
Ahead of the inking of a new liberalised visa agreement between India and Pakistan, Interior Minister Rahman Malik termed it a positive development and said this will boost people to people contact between the two nations.

"Inking of the agreement is a positive development that will boost people to people contact," Mr Malik said.

The much-awaited visa pact could not be inked during the Home Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan in May, after Islamabad insisted that it should be signed at a political level.

The visa agreement will finally be signed on Saturday between Mr Malik and Mr Krishna. "This is something the two countries should cherish," Mr Malik said.

The pact will benefit people of both the countries as it will facilitate multiple-entry and reporting-free visas for businessmen, allowing them to visit five cities instead of three as at present.

It will also exempt elderly people from police reporting, allowing common people from either country to visit three earmarked cities instead of one and introducing visa on arrival facility at Wagah for senior citizens and children. The new pact will act as a great boost to people to people contact, a source said.

The new agreement will replace the old visa regime that was signed in 1974.

Special consular access to Sarabjit
Pakistan has given India special consular access to Indian national Sarabjit Singh, on a death row in a Lahore jail for over two decades, following his complaints of ill treatment, Mr Malik said on Friday.

The special consular access was given on Wednesday, he said adding that Sarabjit would be kept properly.

On the issue of pardon for the Indian national, Mr Malik said the matter would be decided according to the law.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari also assured India that he will consider the case of the Indian
prisoner.

Sarabjit, who is 49, is currently being held at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore and has been on death row for over 20 years. He was convicted and sentenced to death for alleged involvement in a string of bombings in Punjab in 1990 that killed 14 people. He has alleged the jail authorities were serving him "unhygienic" food, which was "difficult to eat", and he was being mistreated.

Following his complaints, the High Commission of India here had approached Pakistan's Foreign Ministry seeking special consular access to Sarabjit.

SM Krishna to meet Hina Rabbani Khar today; liberalised visa agreement on cards

Islamabad: A liberalised visa agreement and some cross-LOC Confidence Building Measures or CBMs for Jammu and Kashmir are expected to come through when External Affairs Minister SM Krishna holds talks with his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar in Islamabad today.

Official sources have told NDTV that the CBMs will look at increased trade, group tourism, better communication facilities, and multiple entry permits.

The new visa agreement will benefit people of both the countries as it will facilitate multiple-entry and reporting-free visas for businessmen, allowing them to visit five cities instead of three as is the case at present.

It will also exempt elderly people from reporting to the police, thus allowing common people from either country to visit three earmarked cities instead of one and introducing a visa-on-arrival facility at Wagah for senior citizens and children. The new pact will act as a great boost to people-to-people contact, a source said.

The new agreement will replace the old visa regime that was signed in 1974.

Speaking to NDTV, on the eve of the talks, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik hailed the proposed visa agreement as a "historic move", adding that the pact would greatly help in cross-border movement.

Mr Malik also said that India shouldn't go on about the slow pace of the 26/11 trial, saying that Pakistan too could say the same about the Samjhauta blasts case.

The 26/11 trial dominated discussions between the foreign secretaries on the eve of the talks on Friday. Foreign Minister SM Krishna also met President Asif Ali Zardari, appealing for mercy for Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh. India got consular access to Sarabjit yesterday. Sources say that President Zardari has promised to look into the case.

(With inputs from PTI)
 

Sleepy woman flies Pakistan to France, and back again

Islamabad: A Frenchwoman endured an 18-hour journey from the Pakistani city of Lahore to Paris and back again after sleeping through her plane's stop in the French capital, officials said on Wednesday.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is investigating how ground crew failed to notice the woman during the plane's two-hour stopover at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

The woman, named as Patrice Christine Ahmed, who is married to a Pakistani, left Lahore at noon on Tuesday to fly to Paris via Milan, but did not wake up to get off the plane, airline spokesman Sultan Hasan told AFP.

The woman did not mention her mistake to cabin crew and the matter only came to light when she was stopped by immigration officials on arrival back in Lahore on Wednesday morning -- after a 12,000-kilometre (7700-mile) round trip.

Mr Hasan said PIA were investigating the incident and the French subcontractor responsible for passenger handling in Paris.

"We have put questions to this French firm also about the incident but it is also the responsibility of the passenger to disembark at the destination," he said.

"It is a passenger's responsibility to check about the destination and disembark when the plane arrives at the particular airport."

PIA later arranged to send the woman back to Paris with another airline because none of its own flights were available, but said that the party responsible for the negligence will pay for the extra ticket.

"It depends who is at fault. If it is a mistake by the local firm, they will pay and if the woman herself is responsible than she will have to bear the cost," Mr Hasan said.

From NDTV