The Indian prisoner Surjeet Singh is finally coming back to India today after 32-years in the Pakistan jail. He was arrested by the Pakistani army on charges of spying in the 1980s.
An official told media that Surjeet Singh will be freed from a jail in eastern Pakistan and will be handed over to Indian officials today.
Surjeet Singh, 69-years-old, will be released from Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore at 10am on Thursday.
An official, without disclosing his name, said, “Policemen will escort Surjeet Singh to the Wagah land border crossing, where he will be handed over to Indian authorities.”
The counsel for Mr. Singh, Awais Sheikh said, “The Indian national was arrested by Pakistani police on charges of spying during the regime of military ruler Zia-ul-Haq.”
Meanwhile, Surjeet Singh was given death sentence under the Pakistan Army Act in 1985, though, it later converted to life imprisonment in 1989 by then President Ghulam Ishaq Khan.
Sources said, “He also requested the authorities to serve him ‘sewai’ to celebrate his impending release.”
“Singh is expected to be repatriated along with 315 Indian fishermen who were on Wednesday freed from a jail in the southern port city of Karachi. The fishermen were released as a goodwill gesture,” said sources.
Earlier, it was said in Pakistan media that Sarabjit Singh will be released from the jail, but later Pak officials said it was Surjeet Singh who will be released not Sarabjit Singh.
