Sarabjit Singh admitted to Pakistan hospital after being attacked

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Sarabjit Singh, the Indian national on a death row in a Lahore jail, was in a critical condition after he was attacked by two fellow prisoners. He was rushed to Jinnah Hospital for an emergency surgery but was still battling for life. The attack reportedly occurred while Singh was being moved from one cell to another.

After he sustained a head injury he was initially taken to the hospital within the prison. When his condition worsened, the 49-year-old was rushed to Jinnah Hospital. There was no official word on the incident. But his lawyer Awais Sheikh claimed that Sarabjit had spoken of a threat to his life from a fellow prisoner after the execution of Afzal Guru. Sheikh alleged that Pakistani authorities failed to provide him adequate security.

"Sarabjit told me and a CID official after the execution of Afzal Guru that a prisoner in Kot Lakhpat Jail had issued death threats. I brought this to the knowledge of prison authorities and the Punjab Home Department but they did not beef up his security," Sarabjit's counsel told PTI.

In Amritsar, his sister Dalbir Kaur added that she had approached authorities but no action was taken. External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin, accompanying minister Salman Khurshid on a visit, said in Kazakhstan that India has sought consular access. "India has contacted Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan for ascertaining the facts. Two officers have been sent to Lahore for consular access and we are awaiting response. We are in touch with the foreign ministry and the presidency," Akbaruddin said.

Sheikh said, "yes, this is very much disturbing. This is not something that we can ignore. Naturally, this will have very serious consequences.