Despite nationwide outrage expressed on the streets and articulated by the Opposition, the UPA government gave no indication on Thursday of downgrading their diplomatic relations with Pakistan following the brutal murder of its citizen Sarabjit Singh inside Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail. Singh succumbed to his injuries at about 1.15 am (IST) on Thursday in Jinnah hospital six days after being attacked by fellow inmates.
MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin, while addressing a press conference on Thursday in New Delhi, said, ‘India and Pakistan are wedded to bi-lateralism and will follow this pattern.’ External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid had earlier carefully phrased his reaction saying Sarabjit’s death was a setback to people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan. ‘It’s a terrible psychological, emotional setback for us,’ Khurshid said. A special Air India plane brought back Sarabjit’s body at about 5.15 pm which was received by MoS External Affairs Preneet Kaur at Amritsar.
Expressing anger at the government’s insipid response, BJP president Rajnath Singh said earlier in the day that ‘the level of diplomatic relations should be scaled down and for the time being Indian high commissioner to Pakistan should be called back.’
Deep shock and sorrow was expressed at the brutal murder in both houses of parliament on Thursday, which condemned the ‘inhuman treatment’ meted out to him in a Pakistani jail.
Reacting to media queries, Akbaruddin said India was never consulted about removing Sarabjit from life-support system. ‘We wanted Sarabjit to live for as long as possible. We never were consulted about removing Sarabjit’s life-support system. Don’t know by when Pakistan will share Sarabjit’s post-mortem report,’ said Akbaruddin.
Admitting that Pakistan could have done more, Akbaruddin said, ‘The norm worldwide is that the state is responsible for prisoners. So no arguments about Pakistan’s responsibility for Sarabjit’s safety,’ he said. Indian government has announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh to Sarabjit Singh’s family. There are still 215 fishermen and 55 other Indian nationals who are languishing in Pakistani prisons as of 1 January 2013.
Meanwhile, a string of VIPs, including Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, went to pay their condolences to Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur, who also lashed out at Pakistan for her brother’s death and called for a war against the nation. Calling Pakistan ‘coward’, she said the political class of India should unite against
Pakistan.
MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin, while addressing a press conference on Thursday in New Delhi, said, ‘India and Pakistan are wedded to bi-lateralism and will follow this pattern.’ External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid had earlier carefully phrased his reaction saying Sarabjit’s death was a setback to people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan. ‘It’s a terrible psychological, emotional setback for us,’ Khurshid said. A special Air India plane brought back Sarabjit’s body at about 5.15 pm which was received by MoS External Affairs Preneet Kaur at Amritsar.
Expressing anger at the government’s insipid response, BJP president Rajnath Singh said earlier in the day that ‘the level of diplomatic relations should be scaled down and for the time being Indian high commissioner to Pakistan should be called back.’
Deep shock and sorrow was expressed at the brutal murder in both houses of parliament on Thursday, which condemned the ‘inhuman treatment’ meted out to him in a Pakistani jail.
Reacting to media queries, Akbaruddin said India was never consulted about removing Sarabjit from life-support system. ‘We wanted Sarabjit to live for as long as possible. We never were consulted about removing Sarabjit’s life-support system. Don’t know by when Pakistan will share Sarabjit’s post-mortem report,’ said Akbaruddin.
Admitting that Pakistan could have done more, Akbaruddin said, ‘The norm worldwide is that the state is responsible for prisoners. So no arguments about Pakistan’s responsibility for Sarabjit’s safety,’ he said. Indian government has announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh to Sarabjit Singh’s family. There are still 215 fishermen and 55 other Indian nationals who are languishing in Pakistani prisons as of 1 January 2013.
Meanwhile, a string of VIPs, including Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, went to pay their condolences to Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur, who also lashed out at Pakistan for her brother’s death and called for a war against the nation. Calling Pakistan ‘coward’, she said the political class of India should unite against
Pakistan.