Pak court seeks reply on Sarabjit's plea for medical treatment

Lahore, Sep 8 (PTI) A Pakistani court on Thursday directed
the government of Punjab province to file a reply by September
20 to Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh's plea that he
should be allowed a medical check-up and treatment as he had
developed heart disease during his prolonged captivity.
Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijaz Chaudhry issued the
order to the Punjab government and adjourned the matter till
September 20.
Sarabjit's counsel Awais Sheikh informed the court that
his client had been suffering from backache, high blood
pressure, eating disorder, migraine, insomnia and high
cholesterol as he was being held in surroundings without
proper sunshine.
The lawyer said Sarabjit was being provided no
opportunity for physical exercise.
Sheikh requested the court to allow him to teach yoga to
Sarabjit during their meetings in jail to help him overcome
depression and stress and to improve his physical and mental
health.
He further asked the court to take notice of comments by
the Inspector General of Prisons in a report wherein he said
that "frequent meetings with a prisoner of an enemy country is
not feasible".
Sheikh contended that such comments might affect
Pakistan-India relations.
Sarabjit has been on death row since he was convicted for
alleged involvement in four bomb blasts in 1990 that killed 14
people. His family insists he was wrongly convicted for the
bombings.
Though Sarabjit was set to be hanged in 2008, Pakistani
authorities put off his execution indefinitely after Prime
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani intervened in the matter. PTI RBS
RCJ