The deportation of Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney from India could delay the release of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Lahore.
AMRITSAR: The deportation of Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney from India could delay the release of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Lahore, Singh's sister said on Saturday and asked Indian politicians not to play "dirty politics".
"Our politician should not play dirty politics", Dalbir Kaur said on phone from New Delhi where she had gone to receive Burney, who has been playing a key role to secure the release of Sarabjit, at the airport.
"I was taken aback when I learnt that our government has deported Burney back from the Indira Gandhi International Airport by an Emirates Airways flight because of a "look-out" notice against him", she said.
Kaur said "it could have serious repercussions on Sarabjit Singh's safe return from Pakistan and our Indian bureaucrats and politicians should understand the plight of the family of Sarabjit Singh".
"Yesterday I was at Delhi Airport to receive him since I have managed meeting for him with the senior BJP leader L.K Advani and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to hold talks with regard to Pakistani prisoners languishing in Indian jails besides safe repatriation of Sarabjit Singh from Pakistan's prisons", said Kaur.
"My dream was shattered when India deported Burney as this act of the Indian government would definitely send a wrong message to Pakistan government and may delay the release of Sarabjit Singh", she said.
Kaur claimed that after deportation, she spoke to Burney on phone and he assured her he would continue his efforts to save Sarabjit and this incident would never demoralize him to do the needful for safe repatriation of Sarabjit to India.
Earlier, Burney had visited India in April this year and met Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon on April 8.
Burney had also met Sarabjit's family at village Bikhiwind in Amritsar. Burney had successfully secured the release of Kashmir Singh, who spent 35 years on death row in a Lahore jail, on February 20 this year as President Pervez Musharraf approved his mercy petition filed on the Indian's behalf by the Human Rights ministry.
It was Burney's efforts that led to Pakistan government's indefinitely postponing execution of Sarabjiit earlier this month.
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