Mangalore/New Delhi, May 3: The Punjab government has announced a three-day state mourning for Sarabjit. He will be cremated with full state honours.
Indian prisoner in Pakistan Sarabjit Singh died in a Lahore hospital on Thursday morning, succumbing to severe injuries caused by an assault by jail inmates on April 26.
The head of the medical panel of the hospital was quoted as saying that Sarabjit succumbed to injuries at 12.45 a.m. (Pakistan time) or (1.15 a.m. Indian standard time).
2.45 pm: Sarabjit’s sister lit the pyre and his mortal remains were consigned to flames.
2.34 pm: Sarabjit Singh, who died after a brutal assault by fellow inmates in a Pakistani jail, suffered massive internal bleeding because of a head injury, according to an initial autopsy report.
“It seems that a 5 cm-wide injury on the top of Sarabjit Singh’s skull contributed to his death,” one of the members of the medical board that conducted the autopsy told.
The member, who did not want to be identified, said the board found some minor injuries on Sarabjit’s face, neck and arms.
The board had sent samples of some organs, including the spleen, kidneys, liver, stomach and parts of the brain, for forensic analysis.
How Pakistan Killed Sarabjit Singh [6 Facts] Asia www.indiatimes.com
2.04 pm: Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur performs last rites at their home town -Bhikhiwind. Sarabjit is being cremated with full state honours.
Huge security blanket inside the cremation ground.
2.02 pm: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal among political leaders attending Sarabjit’s funeral.
2.00 pm: The death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh following a murderous assault in a Lahore jail was a “blot” on India’s reputation, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said on Friday.
“Sarabjit Singh was killed inside a high-security Pakistani jail. It means that Pakistan wanted him killed. Earlier, Chamel Singh was similarly killed and recently Pakistani soldiers mutilated two of our soldiers on the border,” Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece “Saamana”.
If India could release an ailing and aged Pakistani doctor, Khalil Chisti, on humanitarian grounds, what prevented the neighbour from reciprocating and releasing Sarabjit Singh, he asked.
1.55 pm: Bhikhiwind saw an unprecedented number of people arriving since morning, wanting to show solidarity with Sarabjit. Police had a tough time controlling the sea of humanity that had converged for the cremation.
The crowds, which braved the blazing sun, shouted slogans against Pakistan and its leaders.
Every vantage point — be it a wall, roof, pole, vehicle or anything else — was taken over by people.
1.45 pm: Sarabjit Singh’s funeral on at his ancestral village – Bhikhiwind – near Amritsar. Thousands of locals, people from neighbouring villages pay their last respects to Sarabjit.
1:20 pm: Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur says she will now fight for every Sarabjit in Pakistan.
12:35 pm: Amnesty International has called on Pakistani authorities to ensure the safety of Indian prisoners in the country’s jails, following the death of Sarabjit Singh.
Deputy Asia Pacific Director Polly Truscott said in a statement that Pakistani prison authorities have seemingly failed in their duty to protect Sarabjit Singh, despite him apparently receiving death threats
12:20 pm: A special session of the Punjab assembly Friday paid homage to Sarabjit Singh.
The assembly passed a resolution describing Sarabjit Singh as a “martyr of the nation”.
11:45 am: The Punjab government has announced a three-day state mourning for Sarabjit. He will be cremated with full state honours here around 2 pm. A number of top politicians and others are expected to attend the cremation, and arrangements were made for the expected presence of thousands at the cremation ground.
How Pakistan Killed Sarabjit Singh [6 Facts] Asia www.indiatimes.com11: 15 am: The body, placed in a wooden coffin and draped in the tri-colour, was brought for its final journey to his native town past midnight. His family and friends wailed as the body was brought back to his house, marking the end of his journey of torture and despair, that lasted nearly 23 years.
As the Indian Air Force helicopter equipped with night-landing facility landed at the special helipad, Sarabjit’s sister, Dalbir Kaur, earlier a picture of strength, and the champion of her brother’s freedom and return from Pakistan, appeared completely shattered. She touched the coffin as it was brought out from the helicopter.
Sarabjit’s body was flown in a special Air India flight from Lahore to Amritsar international airport around 7.40 pm Thursday; from Amritsar, it was transported to Bhikhiwind by chopper.
11:00 am: Hundreds of people flocked to this dusty Punjab town since early Friday to catch a last glimpse of Sarabjit Singh.
9.49 pm: Sarabjit Singh’s body flown to his village Bhikiwind in Punjab from Amritsar in an Indian Air Force helicopter and taken for autopsy.
9.47 pm: In a damage control exercise shortly after Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh died in a Lahore hospital, Pakistani authorities on Thursday slapped murder charges against two jail inmates for his brutal killing and ordered a judicial probe. A PTI report said the Lahore Police added murder charges to the FIR registered against death row prisoners Amer Aftab alias Amer Tambewala and Mudassar who were booked for the attack on 49-year-old Sarabjit.
Police investigators are yet to complete their probe into the attack. They recorded the statements of both accused but are yet to submit a ‘challan’ or charge sheet against them in court. They have also failed to trace the weapons used in the assault, the report added.
9.03 pm: An Indian judicial panel, comprising retired judges, went to Lahore to see Sarabjit Singh in Kot Lakhpat Jail, but when they reached the Pakistani city, the Indian death row prisoner was in comatose condition in hospital and died Thursday morning, said an official.
India had launched the bilateral mechanism of the judicial committee over concerns for the safety of Sarabjit following the death of another Indian, Chamel Singh in the same jail in January, said Indian external affairs ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin.
9.01 pm: To a question if Sarabjit Singh, who was brain dead, had been taken off the ventilator, Akbaruddin said: “All of us were trying to ensure that an Indian citizen’s life is saved and this issue was never raised.”
Asked on India’s stand on the conviction of Sarabjit Singh, the spokesperson said India has raised his case at every level with the Pakistani authorities since 2005.
“And if we didn’t think this was a case deserving of humanitarian and sympathetic considerations, we wouldn’t have raised it even at the level of the prime minister of India in 2005. Since then we have raised it at all levels… and if we had considered him guilty, we would not have pursued his case ever.”
8.57 pm: British lawyer of Indian origin Jas Uppal put the blame on the successive Indian governments for Sarabjit Singh’s fate in Pakistan, saying she has reported the death row prisoner’s case to global human rights groups.
Uppal, who has highlighted the case of human rights violation of a martyr of Kargil conflict, said Indian governments in the last over two decades should have confronted Pakistan authorities over the death-row prisoner’s arrest.
She said she had reported Sarabjit Singh’s case to international human rights organisations and raised the issue in Britain.
8.39 pm: Sarabjit’s body will first be kept in an Amritsar hospital mortuary for further post-mortem tests. The body will be released by the unidentified hospital on Friday morning and flown by helicopter to Bhikhiwind.
Sarabjit’s funeral rites are expected to take place around 2 pm on Friday with full state honours at his ancestral village.
8.32 pm: There was negligence in the case of murderous attack on Sarabjit Singh in a Lahore jail but no evidence to link it to parliament attack convict Afzal Guru’s hanging, Pakistan Punjab’s caretaker chief minister Najam Sethi said.
“I have not seen any evidence of this sort,” Sethi told CNN-IBN channel in response to a query if the murderous attack last week on Sarabjit was linked to the February 9 hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
“I can say there was negligence but I am not aware of anything else,” he said when asked about a letter Sarabjit reportedly wrote to his family apprehending a threat to his life.
Sethi expressed the hope that both India and Pakistan would be able to discuss the issue in future.
7.59 pm: Special plane carrying Sarabjit Singh’s body lands in Amritsar. Sarabjit will be cremated with full state honours in his hometown Bhikhiwind in Punjab’s border district of Tarn Taran on Friday.
Sarabjit’s body arrived on a special Air India flight. The aircraft carrying the body landed almost one hour behind expected time after red-tape by Pakistani customs and anti-narcotics departments delayed its departure from the Lahore international airport.
The flight was held up as clearances were sought before allowing it to take off.
The body was received by Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur and other top leaders, including Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia at the airport.
7.38 pm: Pakistan Punjab interim CM Najam Sethi, in an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN, confirms that seven people have been suspended over Sarabjit Singh’s death and a judicial probe has been ordered. Sethi also says that the jail authorities weren’t aware of the threat to Sarabjit and that there was no evidence that the attack was planned.
7.24pm: Second autopsy on Sarabjit Singh’s body to be carried out in Amritsar.
7.22 pm: Flight carrying Sarabjit Singh’s body takes off from Lahore; to reach Amritsar first.
7.05 pm: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad blamed Pakistan for the death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in a Lahore hospital early Thursday.
Lalu Prasad also said that Pakistan has to answer for the death of Sarabjit Singh in judicial custody.
6.57 pm: The special aircraft carrying Sarabjit Singh’s body will reach India shortly. Minister of State for External Affairs Praneet Kaur to receive Sarabjit’s body on return.
6.55 pm: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday declared a three-day state mourning in Punjab following the death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan.
Badal, who spoke to Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur by phone, also announced a financial assistance of Rs.1 crore to Sarabjit’s family. He assured the family members that the Punjab government would extend all help and support to Sarabjit’s widow and two daughters.
6.52 pm: Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjit Singh, accused Pakistan of backstabbing India and called for all political parties to come together and strengthen the government’s hands.
She also alleged a prominent Pakistani human rights activist had demanded from her money to secure release of Sarabjit, and demanded all visas of visiting Pakistani activists be cancelled.
6.47pm: External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said any long-lasting relationship between the two countries (India and Pakistan) has to be between the people. “I think that is a relationship that has been hurt by this terrible tragedy.”
“My heart goes out to the family. I understand their pain… their anguish. I just pray that god will give them strength to bear this loss,” he said, adding: “Whatever best we can do, we will obviously do.”
Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said: “It was the responsibility of Pakistan to ensure his (Sarabjit Singh’s) safety in their jail and they have failed at it. We should not be blamed for it.”
6.45pm: Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party demanded that diplomatic ties with Pakistan be scaled down and the Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan be asked to return.
“The level of diplomatic relations should be scaled down for the time being, and the Indian High Commissioner should be called back,” BJP president Rajnath Singh said.
6:38 pm: The special flight carrying Sarabjit Singh’s body from Lahore delayed by 30 to 40 minutes. The delay has been caused as paper work is yet to be completed in Pakistan.
5:45 pm: Family members of Sarabjit Singh have reached their hometown Bhikhiwind where his body will be brought to from Pakistan.
Sarabjit’s body will first be flown in a special Air India plane to Amritsar, where it will be kept in a hospital mortuary for further post-mortem tests. The body will then be flown by helicopter to Bhikhiwind.
5:37 pm: Sarabjit to be cremated in Bhikhiwind Friday
Sarabjit Singh will be cremated in his hometown Bhikhiwind in Punjab’s border district of Tarn Taran, amid great anger in the town.
Sarabjit’s body was being flown from Lahore to Amritsar on its way to this town, and arrangements were underway for the last rites. A number of leaders are expected to attend the cremation.
5:30 pm: Security stepped up for Pakistani inmates in Tihar
Security has been stepped up Tihar Jail in the national capital, India’s largest prison, to avoid any attacks on Pakistani inmates in the wake of the brutal assault and death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in a Pakistan jail.
A jail official told IANS that as many as 20 Pakistanis are lodged in Tihar’s nine sub-jails, most of them booked for terrorism or drug peddling.
“The inmates are under the surveillance of close circuit television (CCTV) cameras,” a jail officer said.
5:15 pm: Expressing deep anguish over the death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal termed him as a “national martyr who suffered unspeakable repression and torture with dignity”.
Strongly condemning “the inhuman treatment and brutal murder of Sarabjit Singh right under the nose of the Pakistani authorities”, Badal said that the whole incident was an “eminently avoidable tragedy”.
The chief minister said that the body of Sarabjit, who hailed from Bhikhiwind town of Punjab’s border district of Tarn Taran, would be cremated with full state honours.
He said that the Punjab government will provide government jobs to Sarabjit Singh’s two daughters. “We will also stand by the family for whatever help they need,” he added.
Badal lambasted the union government for its inept handling of the Sarabjit case, terming it as “a gross diplomatic failure and a sign of weakness on the part of government of India”.
5:00 pm: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said the death of Sarabjit was unfortunate and his body could not be brought to India because of circumstances.
4:45 pm: The government announced Rs.25 lakh for Sarabjit Singh’s family from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
“An ex-gratia payment of Rs 25 lakhs has been announced from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for the family of Sarabjit Singh,” said an official in the Prime Minister’s Office.
4:30 pm: A special aircraft has left for Pakistan to bring back the body of Sarabjit Singh.
“Aircraft to bring back Sarabjit Singh’s body has left for Lahore at 3.46 p.m. We expect aircraft to reach there in about 45 minutes,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.
“It is an Air India aircraft… Regarding its flight back, it will fly from Lahore to Amritsar and two officials of Indian High Commission will accompany the body,” he said.
He said that it is expected that aircraft will be received on arrival by Minister of State for External Affairs Preenet Kaur.
4:15 pm: The body of Sarabjit Singh was handed over to officials of the Indian High Commission by Pakistani authorities.
The body will be flown from Lahore.
4:00 pm: A “deeply saddened” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condoled the passing way of Sarabjit Singh and termed him a brave son of India.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing away of Sarabjit Singh. He was a brave son of India who bore his tribulations with valiant fortitude,” the prime minister said in a statement.
The prime minister demanded that “the criminals responsible for the barbaric and murderous attack on Sarabjit must be brought to justice”.
3.30 pm: The first post-mortem report will be released in Pakistan in three weeks. Another autopsy to be conducted when Sarabjit’s body reaches Amritsar, say reports.
3.15 pm: Sarabjit Singh’s post-mortem ends. The body of the Indian prisoner’s to be handed over to the family shortly.
2.50 pm: BJP leader Arun Jaitley in the Rajya Sabha censured the Indian government for its handling of the Sarabjit issue. He said, “It’s time to look at government’s diplomatic failure. Sarabjit’s death shows how weak our government has become.”
2.40 pm: Expressing agony over Sarabjit’s death, Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal said the Indian prisoner will be given a state-level funeral when his mortal remains reach India. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal announced government jobs for both the daughters of Sarabjit.
2.30 pm: According to reports, Sarabjit’s body will be handed over to the Indian High Commission at 3.30 pm IST. The Indian officials are expected to reach the hospital in Pakistan at 3 pm.
1.40 pm: Congress vice president and general secretary Rahul Gandhi met the family members of Sarabjit.
1.30 pm: Pakistan Police have charged two prisoners with the murder of Sarabjit. The two suspects were taken into custody immediately after last week’s attack.
1.15 pm: Addressing the media, the BJP president Rajnath Singh criticised the government of diplomatic failure. He said, “If the government had taken proper steps then such incident could have been avoided.”
Rajnath added that the Indian government should now take a hard stand against its neighbor following the Indian prisoner’s death. He said, “We should recall our High Commissioner in Pakistan. We should scale down our relationship with Pakistan. The government should take prompt diplomatic steps to ensure safety of other Indians in Pakistani jails.”
12.45 pm: Following the death of Sarabjit, people of Jammu staged a protest rally in the state.
12.30 pm: Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde informed the media that a special plane will be sent to Pakistan to bring back Sarabjit’s body.
12.15 pm: BJP leader Narendra Modi lashed out at the Indian government following Sarabjit’s death. Modi took a dig at the central government, blaming its ‘inaction’ for Sarabjit’s death. He said, “The government failed to put pressure on Pakistan on Sarabjit. Government did not listen to the appeals of Sarabjit Singh’s family. Sarabjit is killed because we have a weak government at the centre. Even a small country like Maldives is daring us. Can we trust the safety of our country in this weak government’s hand?”
11.55 am: Uproar in Lok Sabha over Sarabjit’s death in Pakistan. MP’s raise slogans against Pakistan. The Parliament is likely to bring a condemnation resolution against Pakistan.
Sarabjit died of cardiac arrest: Pakistan
11.20 am: The Pakistan foreign office statement said despite ‘providing the best treatment available’ Sarabjit died of cardiac arrest. It added that the Pakistan government ‘will continue to facilitate ‘early completion of all formalities and hand over the mortal remains of the prisoner to the Indian High Commission at the earliest possible.’
11.15 am: Pakistan foreign office in a statement has stated that Sarabjit died due to ‘cardiac arrest’. It assured that the Indian prisoner’s body will be returned to the family in India at the earliest.
11.00 am: Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde who met the family of the Indian prisoner informed the media and assured them of getting back his body to India.
He said, “We are making efforts so that his body is handed over to us as soon as possible. Our foreign ministry is holding talks with the Pakistan government. And once the body comes its funeral will be conducted as per the wishes of his family.”
Pakistan back-stabbed us again: Sarabjit’s sister
10.40 am: Blaming the Pakistan government for Sarabjit’s death, Dalbir said, “Zardari killed Sarabjit ahead of the general elections in the country. Pakistan is a coward. They murdered Sarabjit.”
10.30 am: Sarabjit Singh’s sister Dalbir Kaur in an emotional address to the media said that she always doubted Pakistan’s honesty and the jail authorities always kept the family in the dark. Calling Sarabjit a martyr, Dalbir said the Indian prisoner was tortured in the Pakistani jail. “First they back-stabbed Vajpayee and now they fooled Manmohan Singh. I appeal the entire nation to unite against Pakistan,” said Dalbir.
Sarabjit’s death a setback to Ind-Pak ties: Khurshid
10.20 am: Union external affairs minister Salman Khurshid expressed shock over Sarabjit’s death, saying the Indian prisoner’s death is a setback to the Indo-Pak ties. He said, “Sarabjit’s death is a terrible, psychological, emotional setback to the Indo-Pak ties.”
Pakistan to hand over Sarabjit’s body to family: Reports
10.10 am: Media reports say that Pakistan has agreed to hand over Sarabjit Singh’s body to his family.
Sharat Sabharwal, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, would be meeting the chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province shortly to work out the modalities of bringing back Sarabjit’s body, which may be flown back in a helicopter.
10.00 am: Calling Sarabjit’s death as a ‘cold blooded murder‘, the leader of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sushma Swaraj slammed Pakistan.
“It is a cold blooded murder. This is not the way civilized nations behave. #Sarabjit Singh,” Sushma Swaraj tweeted.
9.55 pm: The security of the Pakistani prisoners has been tightened in the Indian jails following Sarabjit’s death.
9.50 pm: MEA however denied the report that it was consulted by Pakistan authorities on taking off the ventilator.
9.45 pm: Pakistan media reports that the decision to take Sarabjit off ventilator after consulting with the Indian High Commission.
9.40 pm: Pak Foreign Secretary accepted that ‘there were lapses by jail authorities’ but refused to accept that the death of the Indian prisoner was ‘a conspiracy’.
9.30 am: The Indian external affairs ministry strongly condemned Pakistan over Sarabjit’s death. Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted, “#India: Sarabjit’s death is, put simply, the killing of our citizen while in the custody of #Pakistan jail authorities.”
9.20 am: Pakistan media reports that a medical team will be formed to conduct the postmortem examination of Sarabjit.
Brave son of India: PM
9.15 am: Describing Sarabjit as the ‘brave son of India’, Singh said the entire nation shared his family’s grief.
Full text of PM: “I am deeply saddened by the passing away of Sarabjit Singh. He was a brave son of India who bore his tribulations with valiant fortitude. The criminals responsible for the barbaric and murderous attack on him must be brought to justice. It is particularly regrettable that the government of Pakistan did not heed the pleas of the government of India, Sarabjit’s family and of civil society in India and Pakistan to take a humanitarian view of this case. May his soul be granted the peace that he could not enjoy in life. Government will make the arrangements to bring his remains home and for his last rites to be conducted in consultation with his family. The nation shares their profound grief with them.”
Regret Pakistan’s inaction: PM
9 pm: Expressing regret over Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh’s death in Pakistan, the Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh appealed to Pakistan to punish the killers of the Indian prisoner.
8.15 am: Sarabjit’s family first learnt of his death in a Lahore hospital through a media report. Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjit Singh, told Geo TV that the family had not yet been officially informed about his death at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore.
8 am: The family of the Indian prisoner said that he should be given the stature of a “shahid” or, martyr.
1.15 am: Sarabjit Singh declared dead in Lahore hospital.
Indian prisoner in Pakistan Sarabjit Singh died in a Lahore hospital on Thursday morning, succumbing to severe injuries caused by an assault by jail inmates on April 26.
The head of the medical panel of the hospital was quoted as saying that Sarabjit succumbed to injuries at 12.45 a.m. (Pakistan time) or (1.15 a.m. Indian standard time).
Sarabjit’s lawyer Awais Shiekh told an Indian news channel that Sarabjit’s death was confirmed by hospital authorities.
Sarabjit had suffered serious head injuries after being attacked by two prisoners at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail April 26. He was on ventilator support since then. (With inputs from agencies)
Source:Yahoo
