Thursday, April 6 2006 15:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Embracing Islam will not help Indian national Sarabjit Singh escape the noose for his alleged involvement in a series of bomb blasts in Lahore, Pakistan's Law Minister Muhammad Wasi Zafar said here today (Apr 06, 2006).

Reacting to news reports that Sarabjit has converted to Islam, changed his name to Sarfaraz Ahmad and was offering namaz five times a day, he said Pakistani laws do not discriminate between religions and if he has been found guilty by the courts he has to face execution.

"That is the law of the land. It does not vary from man to man and faith to faith," Zafar, who is here to attend the 45th Annual Session of Asian African Legal Consultative Organization, told sources in an interview.

Asked if it was a desparate act on the part of a prisoner condemned to death in the Islamic country and awaiting a decision on his mercy petition from President Musharraf, Zafar said "He (Sarabjit) says he has done it according to his own free will. It dispels all such impressions."

Explaining the legal position, he said even President Parvez Mushrraf did not have power to pardon Sarabjit, as the matter fell within the jurisdiction of the Interior Minister.

"No one is empowered to pardon him, neither the Executive nor the Legislature. Not even the President or the courts. Section 402 of Pakistani Penal Code is very clear. It says no one except the legal heirs of the victim can pardon the convict," said Zafar, a lawyer by profession.

The Pakistani Law Minister said "Not only in death cases, even in cases of simple hurt or any bodily injury, the person found guilty has to be punished unless the victim or his/her family pardons the convict. The Government does not have to do anything with it. They (victim's family) have to inform the court about the pardon," he added.

Sarabjit has committed an act of terrorism

Zafar, however, emphasised that Sarabjit has committed an act of terrorism and has been pronounced guilty by the courts, including the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Zafar said those filing mercy petitions on behalf of Sarabjit must know the law and the procedure and blamed the media for creating an unnecessary controversy about the issue.

Earlier, Pakistani daily 'Ausaf' had reported that Sarabjit, currently lodged in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, has converted to Islam, and written a will asking his family to bury him.

In his will addressed to his family members, Sarabjit had reportedly said his conversion to Islam had nothing to do with the mercy appeal or influence of Pakistani leaders but was purely because of religious understanding, the report said.

Sarabjit is in Pakistani jails since his 'capture' in 1990. His lawyer Rana Abdul Hamid said though his client had embraced Islam there was no official certificate issued which suggested that the conversion was private and not official.

Hamid, who has filed a mercy petition on behalf of Sarabjit, had earlier told sources that said his client still continues to sign all petitions in his original name.

"In fact the chargesheet and the prosecution identified him as Manjit Singh which he continues to contradict by insisting that he is Sarabjit not Manjit", Hamid said.