IT was extremely sad to learn about the death of Indian death-row prisoner Sarabjit Singh. His family members are quoted to have said that Sarabjit may have died during the attack and the authorities concerned staged the drama of keeping him on ventilator to subdue the effect. His family members were just called to seek permission for the removal of ventilator.

Though it is premature to speculate how the in-mate got into his cell in the midst of a high-security patrol, with bricks and blade; what prompted them to attack him brutally and what the jail staff was doing during this period, failing to protect him. Apparently either there were security lapses or the attack was instigated purposely to eliminate Sarabjit in order to avoid political and public uproars in case he was released or hanged.

The Indian government executed Kasab, the only survivor of the Mumbai attack but protected him in the jail cell compared to the alleged blame of facilitating this attack on Sarabjit, presumably after the execution of Afzal Guru in India. Pakistan could have hanged him as he was proven guilty and have avoided this humiliation.

I condemn the brutal death of Sarabjit Singh and ask the authorities concerned to investigate what inspired the attack and punish the culprits.

MOHAMMAD ASHRAF Winnipeg, Canada