Islamabad: India today said it hoped its national Sarabjit Singh, who is on death row for alleged involvement in terrorist attacks, would be granted clemency on humanitarian grounds following the staying of his execution by the Pakistan government.
President Pervez Musharraf yesterday deferred the hanging of Sarabjit, scheduled for April 1, by a month after receiving an appeal for clemency from the Indian government and the condemned man's family.
"The government of India continues to hope that Sarabjit Singh will be granted clemency on humanitarian grounds," said a statement issued by the Indian High Commission here.
"The reprieve now allows time for the appeals for clemency to be given proper consideration from all angles, including by the new government expected to take office in Pakistan soon," it said.
The statement said the Indian government was "pleased to learn that Sarabjit Singh's execution has been stayed".
"The news was received with appreciation in the Indian Parliament yesterday. Sarabjit Singh's family has also expressed its gratitude for all the support received for Sarabjit's cause," it said.
The breather for Sarabjit coincided with the release by India of Pakistani national Jamal Qureshi, who arrested in India in October 2005 on charges of spying and possessing fake currency.
Qureshi was handed over to Pakistani authorities at the Wagah land border yesterday after being acquitted by a fast-track court in Uttar Pradesh.
