The death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, 49, in a hospital in Lahore on Thursday has sparked anger and outrage in the country and threatens to sour bilateral ties even further between the two neighbours. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has demanded that Sarabjit’s killers be punished.
A simmering New Delhi described Sarabjit’s death as “the killing of our citizen while in the custody of Pakistani jail authorities”. It reminded Islamabad of the commitments made both internationally and bilaterally by it on the humanitarian treatment of Indian prisoners. It also said that what had happened to Sarabjit was inhuman though for now it does not plan to raise the issue before an international forum.
Dr Singh demanded that the “criminals responsible for the barbaric and murderous attack on him must be brought to justice” while describing Sarabjit as “a brave son of India who bore his tribulations with valiant fortitude”.
On what impact Sarabjit’s death would have on bilateral relations, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid said it was a “big question” and that India in the coming days “will have to examine and see how we do work (with Pakistan)”.