ISLAMABAD, Aug 30: A non-governmental organization working for prisoners rights has appealed to President Gen Pervez Musharraf to accept the mercy petition being submitted by the family of Sarabjit Singh in supreme national interest.

Society for Human Rights and Prisoners Aid (Sharp) Chairman Syed Liaquat Banori said Sarabjit Singh had been found involved in heinous crime of terrorism resulting in killings of many innocent people and was a convict from a competent court of law.

However, keeping in view the vast national interest, states have to make compromises by taking lenient steps, he added.

He said people across the border were happy to see the peace process between India and Pakistan moving forward after a longtime conflict between the two countries.

The Sharp chairman observed that clemency to one Indian convict prisoner would pave way for the release of hundreds of innocent Pakistani prisoners languishing in Indian jails, besides strengthening the confidence of one billion people living on both sides of the border.

It is also being said that the identity of the convict is doubtful and the person convicted is not that being involved in the case, he pointed out.

He said if the identity conflict of the convict was proved at any stage in future, it would be very difficult to defend the execution of an innocent prisoner.