Pak SC adjourns Sarabjit's case hearing till Wednesday

Rezaul H Laskar

Islamabad, Jun 22 (PTI) Pakistan's Supreme Court
Monday adjourned till Wednesday the hearing of a review
petition challenging the death sentence given to Indian
prisoner Sarabjit Singh for his alleged involvement in the
bomb blasts.

The apex court issued a notice to Sarabjit's lawyer
after he failed to appear in the court. A three-member bench
is to hear the review petition.

Sarabjit has been on death row since he was convicted
for his alleged involvement in four bomb blasts in 1990 that
killed 14 people in Pakistan.

Sarabjit was set to be hanged on April one last year
though authorities put off his execution indefinitely after
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani intervened in the matter.

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

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

In October last year, then Law Minister Farooq Naek
met Sarabjit at Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore to examine his case
so that President Asif Ali Zardari could take a decision on
the issue.

Naek, who is now Chairman of the Senate, had then
pointed out that Sarabjit's mercy petition had been dismissed
by the Supreme Court and only the President had the powers to
pardon or remit his sentence. PTI RHL
AM
NNNN