Uttarakhand Guv appeals Pakistan to release Sarabjit

Expressing hope and belief in the wisdom of the Pakistan government, the Governor said, "Sarabjit's release will give strength to secular ideals and restore faith and confidence among the minorities of the sub-continent".

A Rajbhavan release said Qureshi appealed to the government of Pakistan that "in order to restore sanity and develop man to man contact", it should release Sarabjit Singh without any further delay and write a new chapter in the history of Indo-Pak relations.

For the last 20 years, Sarabjit Singh has been languishing in Pakistan's jail and during this period, his family, friends and many human rights activists in both the countries have been demanding his release on compassionate and humanitarian grounds, he said.

"During the last few years, his case did not remain confined to the members of his family but his release became a common wish, demand and desire of many peace-loving Indians, irrespective of caste, colour and creed, who have been dreaming of Indo-Pak friendship and harmonious relations between the two countries", he said.

Instead of talking about "war and Jehad", he said, both countries should together "wage a war against hunger, poverty, illiteracy, superstition, deprivation, disease, sorrow, suffering and natural calamities".

Only this kind of a Jehad (Holy War) could be waged and fought against the suffering and ills that plagued people in both the neighbouring countries, Qureshi said.

Sarabjit has been on the death row for the last 20 years following his conviction for alleged involvement in a series of bombings in Pakistan in 1990.