Sarabjit shifted from death row cell: report

Islamabad, Oct 28 (PTI) Indian national Sarabjit Singh,
awarded capital punishment in Pakistan, has been shifted from
death row to a normal cell in a Lahore jail, raising hopes
that he might not be executed.

Pakistani TV channel Geo news reported that the move may
be an indication that the Sarabjit, convicted for triggering
blasts killing 14 people in Pakistan in 1990, would not be
hanged. However, there was no official word in this regard so
far.

Sarabjit, whom Pakistani authorities call Manjit Singh,
has been on death row since he was convicted for alleged
involvement in four bomb attacks in Punjab province in 1990.

Sarabjit's family, who visited Pakistan this year seeking
his release, insists that he was wrongly convicted for the
attacks.

His execution, initially set for April 1, was deferred
for 30 days by former President Pervez Musharraf. This was
done so that the new Pakistan People's Party (P.P.P.)-led
government could review his case following India's appeal for
clemency.

After Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani intervened in the
matter, Pakistani authorities put off Sarabjit's execution
"till further orders".

Pakistan's Supreme Court and Musharraf had earlier turned
down Sarabjit's mercy petitions.

Pakistan Law Minister Farooq Naek, who met Sarabjit in
Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail earlier this month, said he had
sought the Indian's file from the prison superintendent so
that he could study his case.

The 42-year-old has already spent 17 years behind bars.

Leading Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney, who
earlier played a key role in the release of another Indian
prisoner Kashmir Singh, recently asked the Pakistan government
to commute all death sentences, including that of Sarabjit, to
life imprisonment, saying a majority of death row prisoners
had been wrongly convicted.