Sarabjit's counsel calls on Badal

The recently appointed counsel of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian prisoner who is facing death sentence in Pakistan, Awais Sheikh, called on Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal here this evening.

Sheikh handed over to Badal a copy of his mercy petition to be given to the prime minister Manmohan Singh to enable him to take up this issue with the president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari for seeking clemency for Sarbjit, an official spokesman said.

The Pakistani counsel, who was accompanied by Sarbjit's sister Dalbir Kaur and daughter Swapandeep Kaur during his meeting with the chief minister, made an impassioned appeal to Badal to pursue the case for Sarabjit's early release by making use of all diplomatic channels.

He mentioned that he had also visited the native village of Sarbjit Singh and interacted with the people there.

He said he would return to Pakistan with the copy of an appeal for Sarbjit's release signed by the Indian national's over one lac well wishers from his native village near Amritsar and surrounding areas.

Badal informed Sheikh that he had already taken up the matter with the prime minister and ministry of external affairs to secure the release of Sarbjit Singh.

Sheikh presented the Hindi version of his book titled "Samjhota Express" on the Indo-Pak relations to the chief minister.

Sheikh was appointed as the counsel of Sarabjit after his earlier counsel failed to appear in a court in Pakistan to defend him.