Sarabjit's sister calls for political unity

Dalbir Kaur, sister of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh who died Thursday following a brutal assault in a Lahore jail, has asked all political parties to come together and strengthen the government's hands.

"Sarabjit gave up his life for the country. He was martyred for India. (Pakistan President Asif Ali) Zardari killed him because of elections," Dalbir Kaur told reporters here.

She said: "The entire country should come together. I appeal to all parties to make the hands of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde stronger."

Dalbir Kaur demanded that all visas of visiting Pakistani human rights activists be cancelled.

She said Shinde has assured her that the government was with the family in all matters and answers would be sought from Pakistan on a variety of issues.

"I left Pakistan as nurses and doctors used to laugh at me. They knew that you can ask about the health of a person only when he is alive and this person (Sarabjit) is dead," she said.

Dalbir Kaur, who along with Sarabjit's family had gone to Pakistan after he was admitted to a Lahore hospital following a savage attack on him in a Lahore jail April 26, returned Wednesday.

She claimed that Sarabjit had written to her that Pakistani authorities had asked him to undergo training in terror camps. "I travelled in trains, buses and went from pillar to post to bring back Sarabjit, but I failed."

Sarabjit Singh, who was admitted to a Lahore hospital April 26 after being savagely attacked in jail, died early Thursday. He had suffered serious head injuries and had been on ventilator support since then.

Sarabjit Singh had been on a death row in Pakistan since 1990 after being convicted by Pakistani courts for bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan that left 14 people dead.