Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal today sought the immediate intervention of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for bringing back Mr Sarabjeet Singh to provide proper treatment to him after he was seriously injured in an attack by other prisoners in the Kot Lakhpat Rai Jail of Pakistan.
Talking to the media persons here today, the Chief Minister said that it was unfortunate that Mr Sarabjeet Singh continues to be in coma and was on ventilator after being brutally attacked by other prisoners due to which it was the moral duty of the Union government to make all out efforts for his early release thereby saving his precious life. Mr Badal said that it was the high time that the Prime Minister, Union Foreign Affairs Minister and Union Home Minister must exploit all the diplomatic channels for bringing back Mr Sarabjeet from the Pakistan to ensure world class medical treatment to him. He said that immediate relief must be provided to Mr Sarabjeet Singh on the humanitarian ground for saving his valuable life.
Expressing solidarity with the family of Mr Sarabjeet Singh, the Chief Minister said that the state government was solidly with them in this hour of crisis. However Mr. Badal said that though there was hardly anything in the hands of the state government in the matters pertaining to the foreign affairs but then also the Punjab government appeals the Government of India (GoI) to take a prompt action for saving the life of Indian death row prisoner. He also said that observing the serious situation of Mr. Sarabjeet Singh, the national government of Pakistan should also take a lenient view towards him and take every step for ensuring his well being by providing quality treatment to him anywhere across the globe.
Earlier the Chief Minister also met the National President of BJP Mr Rajnath Singh, National Conference leader and Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah and Samajwadi Party leader Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav to express his gratitude for their unflinching support and solidarity with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on the issue of abolition of the Wealth Tax imposed by the Union government on the Agriculture land in the periphery of the urban areas. Mr Badal apprised these leaders that with their fulsome support and co-operation a pressure was mounted on the centre government due to which it was forced to withdraw this anti-farmer’s tax which would have otherwise crushed the distressed peasantry of the state besides putting the national food security in peril. The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Special Principal Secretary Mr Gaggandip Singh Brar and Resident Commissioner Mr K Siva Prasad.