Sarabjeet's family seeks meeting with Zardari

AJMER: The visit of Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari is seen as an opportunity by families seeking justice for their elders incarcerated in jails of the two countries. Notably among them are request for release of Sarabjeet Singh lodged in a Pakistan jail and Sayeed Khaleel Chisty languishing in Ajmer jail.
Swapan Deep, daughter of Sarabjeet has reached Ajmer and has sought an audience with Zardari.However, Pak officials have still not given her permission to meet him. "I want to hand over a memorandum to the president requesting him to release my father," Swapan said.
Sarabjeet is on a death row and languishing in a Pak jail since 1990.
"I want to appeal to the president that a daughter who lived her childhood without a father now wants to see him," she said wiping off a tear.
Swapan along with her aunt Dalbir Singh have come to Ajmer for the second time. The family offered chaddar at the dargah wishing for the release of Sabarjeet. "Garib Nawaj gives message of love, harmony and forgiveness and based these teachings, we appeal to the Pakistan president to release my brother," Dalbir Singh.
"At least if I could get the permission to meet my father in the Pakistan jail, I would be very happy." The duo handed over the request letter to district magistrate Manju Rajpal seeking permission to meet Zardari during his visit to the dargah."
The collector said, "We have got the request letter and handed it over to the competent authority who will decide on it."
Sources said the matter was discussed during the meeting between the India and Pakistan officials held on Staturday afternoon at district headquarters. But the request was allegedly declined. "It is not possible on our side to permit anyone to meet the Pakistan president. The officials from Pakistan will decide on it," said Atul Sharma,divisional commissioner of Ajmer, after attending the meeting. Sources said officials advised Swapan to try to meet the president in New Delhi when he reaches there the same day.
To capitalize on Zardari's visit, former president of Pakistan Human Right Commission and senator Iqbal Haider also wrote to Zardari to initiate the release of Pakistani scientist Sayeed Khaleel Chisty languishing in the Ajmer jail as a convict in a murder case. Khaleel came to Ajmer in 1994 to attend a ceremony where he was found guilty in a murder case. His appeal to pardon the sentence is pending. Khaleel is about 79 years old.
In another development, BJP MLA from Ajmer (north) Vasudev Devnani sent a letter to district administration requesting a meeting with the Pakistan president to seek stoppage of atrocity against Hindus in Pakistan. "I wanted to request the president to provide a peaceful atmosphere to the Hindus living in Pakistan," Devnani said.
Hindu Singh Sodha, president of Seemant Lok Sangathan, has also sent a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to talk to the visiting Pak president about atrocity against Hindus in Pakistan. "We would like the Government of India and the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, to take up this issue during the upcoming visit of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to India. We have also called all the political parties in India to build a common consensus to resolve this issue," he has said in the letter.