Sarabjit Singh still in 'deep coma

Sarabjit Singh still in 'deep coma'; family will cross Wagah border today to visit him

As Sarabjit Singh, an Indian national who is on death row in Pakistan, continues to be in deep coma and on ventilator support at a hospital in Lahore after being brutally attacked by a group of prisoners on Friday, his family is expected to leave for Lahore today.

The Pakistan High Commission yesterday issued four emergency visas to four members of Sarabjit's family to travel to Lahore. The visas, however, came after a push from New Delhi and strong protests from the Indian establishment, including the Prime Minister, who condemned the attack and called it a "very sad incident".

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, who is in Russia on an official trip, has said that India is ready to provide Sarabjit with all the necessary medical assistance.

Sarabjit's lawyer, Awais Sheikh, has told NDTV that his condition is critical. "He is in coma and is critical. 60 per cent of his brain is damaged... his backbone is broken," said Mr Sheikh.

Yesterday, Sarabjit's daughter told NDTV it was a premeditated attempt to murder her father and that authorities were involved.

"Yes, it was an attempt to murder my father. It was all planned because in the morning we were hearing that the authorities of jail were saying that he has been attacked while shifting the barrack but now the authorities are saying that he's been attacked in his barrack only. We are unable to understand what they want to say. It shows that it was already planned and authorities were also involved," Swapandeep Kaur said.

She also held the governments of both India and Pakistan responsible for not taking the threats to his life seriously.

"My father told us he was being threatened from Pakistan after Afzal Guru's hanging. He feared for his life... We had told the Home Minister and the Minister of External Affairs... no action was taken," said teary-eyed Swapandeep.

The allegations come a day after Sarabjit, 49, was assaulted at the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. Incidentally, it is the same jail where another Indian prisoner Chamel Singh died in January this year, allegedly after being tortured. India is still waiting for the post-mortem report.

Pakistani TV news channels quoted their sources as saying that next 24 hours would be crucial for Sarabjit.

According to reports, Sarabjit was attacked by six prisoners inside his cell. The inmates overpowered two wardens and snatched the keys of Sarabjit's cell. They then hit Sarabjit with bricks and a blade resulting in cut marks on his face, neck and stomach.
Reports also say the jail staff found Sarabjit unconscious and bleeding profusely. The jail staff removed Sarabjit's blood-soaked clothes and he was then dressed in the jail warden's clothes before being taken to the hospital.

The prime suspect had apparently tried to attack Sarabjit a few days ago too.

Two prisoners have been booked for attempt to murder. Four jail officials, including the warden, have been suspended.
New Delhi has been confident that Sarabjit would eventually be released from jail in Pakistan. He has consistently said that he was wrongly implicated in multiple blasts in Faisalabad and Lahore in 1990 which left 14 people dead and had entered Pakistan by mistake three months after the blasts took place.