Sarabjit murder trial: Arrest warrant issued against Pakistan jail official

LAHORE: A Pakistani court has issued a bailable arrest warrant against a top jail official for failing to appear before it in connection with the 2013 murder case of Indian national Sarabjit Singh.

The court's order came after the Deputy Superintendent of Kot Lakhpat jail, where Sarabjit was murdered by two inmates, did not appear before it despite repeated summons.

An additional district and sessions judge here yesterday directed the Lahore police chief to ensure the appearance of Deputy Superintendent on February 17.

The judge said there had been "little" progress in Sarabjit's case.

During the hearing, the judge admonished the jail authorities for not cooperating with the court and also issued bailable arrest warrant for the Deputy Superintendent.

Two Pakistani death row prisoners - Amir Tamba and Mudassar - had allegedly attacked Sarabjit in the jail resulting in his death.

One-man judicial commission of Justice Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi of Lahore High Court had initially investigated Sarabjit's murder case before the trial kicked off in the sessions court.

Naqvi recorded the statements of some 40 witnesses in the case and submitted its report to the government which is yet to make its findings public.

The one-man commission had also issued notices to Sarabjit's relatives through the foreign ministry to record their statements and produce any evidence they had regarding his death.

However, Sarabjit's family did not record their statements, the officials had said.

Tamba and Mudassar, in their statements to the commission, had confessed to the crime and said they killed Sarabjit as they wanted to avenge the killing of people in Lahore and Faisalabad in bomb blasts allegedly carried out by the Indian national.

Sarabjit had been sentenced to death for alleged involvement in a string of bombings in 1990.

Both Tamba and Mudassar have been indicted in the murder case in the court of additional district and sessions judge Lahore.