Sarab's family pegs hopes on Musharraf

The family of Sarabjit Singh condemned to death for alleged involvement in bomb blasts, is pegging its last hopes on the provision in Islam for pardoning non-Muslims and the "compassion" of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf before whom a mercy petition is pending.

"Musharraf had, in 2005 indicated that he was basically a person who shows compassion," Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur said here today. She said Sarabjit's lawyer Rana Abdul Hamid who spoke to her over the phone on Sunday was hopeful that Musharraf would consider the mercy petition "sympathetically" and grant a Presidential pardon.

Sarabjit appeals to Musharraf

Kaur urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take up the matter with Musharraf as promised by him when she along with Sarabjit's two daughters met him on March 24 during his visit to Amritsar. "It is the appropriate time for the Prime Minister to speak to the Pakistan President," she said.

The mercy petition filed by Hamid argued that Islam had a provision to pardon non-Muslims and the "man who pardons is regarded as a great person under the religion". The family, she said were pegging hopes on this provision in Islam, Musharraf's compassion and the Prime Minister's assurances to win the pardon.