Sarabjit Singh's Lawyer Receives Death threat from Pakistani Taliban

AMRITSAR: Pak based militant organization Tehreek-e-Taliban has given life threat to Awais Sheikh, counsel for Indian prisoner on death row in Pakistan Sarabjit Singh, and have warned him to stop publicizing the case of his client.

The threat came on March 1, on the occasion of launching ceremony of Sheikh's book on Sarabjit 'A case of mistaken identity' at Lahore Press Club. While talking to TOI over phone from Lahore on Saturday, Sheikh informed that a person identifying himself as a member of Tehreek-e-Taliban outfit and relative of bomb blast victim for which Sarabjit Singh was being held responsible had written a letter addressed to his wife wherein he had threatened to kill him and his family.

The letter read,"I am a resident of Faislabad and member of Tehreek-e-Taliban, I want to tell you that your husband is representing the case of Sarabjit Singh who killed my entire family in a bomb blast. Your husband is addressing a press conference about Sarbajit, if it is held, it will be last day of his life".

He said that the unidentified persons had also threatened to kill his children. The Lahore Press Club has also received a similar threat. Sheikh said that the administration of Lahore Press Club had locked doors of the club when he reached there for the launching ceremony of his book.

"Not only me, but every one including invitees and the guests including Hamid Khan, president, Supreme Court Bar Association, IA Rehman, Director, Human Rights Commission were surprised when Club administration told us that they wouldn't allow us to hold the function due to a security threat" he said.

Notably Sheikh had been contesting that Indian national Sarabjit Singh who is on death row is a victim of mistaken identity. He even said that the FIR lodged didn't have the name of Sarabjit Singh but that of Manjit Singh. Sarabjit Singh was arrested in Pakistan on August 30, 1990 on the charges of spying for India and carrying out bomb blasts at Faislabad and Lahore in which 14 persons had died. He was tried and sentenced to death by a trial court on October 3, 1991 under section 302, 307 IPC and 3 of Explosive Substances Act.

The Lahore High Court had dismissed the appeal and confirmed the order of the Special Judge on December 10, 2001. The Supreme Court of Pakistan had also dismissed the appeal on August 18, 2005 The mercy petition of Sarabjit Singh was rejected by the then President of Pakistan Parvez Musharraf and execution was set for April 30, 2008 but was deferred for one month. Since then no new date was fixed for Sarabjit's hanging. Sheikh informed that he was in consultation with his colleagues before informing police or chalking out future course of action.

TNN