Help Save My Innocent Father

Mr Sarabjit Singh is an Indian National who was convicted and sentenced to death by a court in Pakistan in 1991 for his alleged involvement in terrorists attacks in Pakistan.

He has been in solitary confinement for over 19 years in a small cramp cell without sufficient space for him to stand upright. Until the recent intervention of a human rights group from Canada in 2003, Mr Sarabjit Singh remained shackled in his cell.

Mr Sarabjit Singh has maintained his innocence from the outset. He continues to maintain he is farmer from a village near Amritsar in the Punjab, married with two daughters both of whom were toddlers at the time of his arrest.  Younger daughter was only 22 days old and elder was 2 years and 6 months old. He crossed the border in a drunken position.

Mr Sarabjit Singh%u2019s Sister Mrs Dalbir Kaur has campaigned tirelessly on behalf of her brother since his arrest and continues to do so to date.

Mr Singh does not have the benefit of a legal team in India. His current lawyer in Pakistan is Mr Awais Sheikh who is a human rights lawyer.The original mercy peition was filed by the previous lawyer and was rejected by president Parvez Musharaf on the grounds it was out of the statutory limitation period.

Mr Sheikh has filed a fresh petition with the President Asif Ali Zardari , immediately after review petition was dismissed in Supreme Court following the failure of the previous lawyer to attend the hearing.

The mercy petition lodged by Mr Sheikh is currently waiting to be determined by President Asif Ali Zardari. A letter written by Sarabjit Singh praying for mercy ( handed over to Mr Sheikh at his recent meeting with Mr Sarabjit Singh in Jail) has been annexed to the mercy petition together with the letter from his sister Mrs Dalvir Kaur in support of the mercy petition. Mr Sheikh has continued to passionately defend and highlight Mr Singh%u2019s plight in the media. Mr Sheikh has waived his legal fee

Concerns about the Case

.%u2022 The court papers show that the case is against %u2018Manjit Singh%u2019; Mr Sarabjit Singh adamantly maintains he has never been known by the name of %u2018Manjit Singh%u2019; all of his official documents in India refer to him as %u2018Sarabjit Singh%u2019. This case is a clear case of mistaken identity. Identity was never verified in the original trial.

%u2022 Mr Sarabjit Singh%u2019s original trial did not test any forensic evidence that linked him to the attacks.

%u2022 Mr Sarabjit Singh%u2019s trial was in English; Mr Singh does not speak or understands English. His main language is Punjabi. An interpreter was not provided.

%u2022 Mr Sarabjit Singh was kept underground for 9 months and beaten up and tortured upon his arrest and forced to sign a confession. 

%u2022 The Pakistani authorities failed to report with immediate effect Mr Sarabjit Singh%u2019s arrest to the Indian Consulate upon his arrest. He was denied his right to seek independent legal advice. This is a blatant breach of Article 36 of the Vienna Convention as well as a serious contravention of the United Nations Convention in relation to human rights.

%u2022 Mr Sarabjit Singh%u2019s original trial lawyer in Pakistan misappropriated the money raised by Mr Sarabjit Singh%u2019s family in support of his defence. The quality of the defence prepared by the original lawyer is poor and one which was drafted by an incompetent and inexperienced lawyer without any reference or due regard to the actual evidence in the case.

%u2022 An appeal against Mr Sarabjit Singh%u2019s death sentence was lodged by Mr Singh%u2019s original lawyer. The appeal hearing took place on the 24th of June 2009; his lawyer failed to attend the hearing and the appeal was dismissed. Mr Singh%u2019s death sentenced has been deferred indefinitely. He continues to remain imprisoned in the Kot Lakhpat Prison in Lahore Pakistan.

%u2022 Mr Singh%u2019s family has been repeatedly denied travel visas to Pakistan to visit him in prison. Then they got Visa in 2008 and the meeting with him of the family was only for 48 minutes.

The recent progress is that we came to know about the real Manjit Singh Who is the main culprit for the bomb blast in Pakistan. Advocate Mr. Sheikh has filled a petition with document regarding real Manjit Singh proving him the main culprit.