Government should ensure release of Kulbhushan Yadav: Sarabjit's sister

Dalbir Kaur, sister of alleged spy Sarabjit Singh who died while in custody in Pakistan, on Saturday urged the government to take concrete and urgent steps to ensure the release of Kulbushan Yadav, the Indian national arrested in Pakistan earlier this week on charges of being a RAW agent.

"Maybe there is again a bad intent to create another Sarabjit Singh, this story should not be repeated," Kaur told reporters ahead of a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

"The government has denied that he (Kulbhushan) is a RAW (Reasearch and Analaysis Wing) agent. His parents have also denied this. What more do you want? People should come out and ensure that another Sarabjit Singh is not created," she said,

adding the latest controversy around Kulbhusan was only part of a "conspiracy".

"Bilkul saazish hai (It's a complete conspiracy)," she said.

Dalbir Kaur's brother Sarabjit Singh had claimed himself to be a farmer who strayed into Pakistan from his village located on the border, but was held in Pakistan and sentenced to death in 1991. His execution was, however, deferred and he later died in 2013 in a Lahore hospital after he was injured following attacks by fellow inmates.

Kaur, who has been taking up the cause of release of "innocent" Indians and Pakistanis held in both sides on charges of spying since 2005, said, "If Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to meet Nawaz Sharif, he should first ensure the release of this man (Kulbhushan) as after Pakistan President Asif Zardari's Ajmer visit in 2012, Khaleel Chishty was released.

"It will be very nice if Modi proves that before friendship with Pakistan, he also cares for every Indian before it is too late because to trust Pakistan can be like betraying yourself," she said.

She said she would also submit a list of 87 Indians held in Pakistan and 44 Pakistanis held in Indian prisons to Sushma Swaraj.