By IANS,
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday asked the government should explain how Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna announced that Pakistan would release death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh but later say it was Surjeet Singh who would be freed.
“When Krishna announced Sarabjit would be released, there was happiness all over India but things changed suddenly. The government must take people into confidence as to how could the minister make such a statement,” BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told reporters here.
“It is a big mistake in both the countries,” he said.
Charging Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardadri with often going back on his words, Sinha alleged that he did the same in the case of Sarabjit under pressure from some terrorist organisations.
“President Zardari changed his statement on sending the then ISI director to India after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. This time too, he seems to have done the same under pressure from some terrorist organisations,” said Sinha.
On June 26, the Pakistani media had carried reports of Sarabjit Singh getting a presidential pardon.
However, Islamabad clarified late evening that it was not Sarabjit but Surjeet Singh, his fellow inmate at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail, who would be released.