NEW DELHI, Sept 2: Indian opposition leader Lal Kishan Advani on Friday made a personal appeal to President Pervez Musharraf to spare the life of a condemned Indian spy Sarabjit after his family joined Mr Advani’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“The whole world will praise him and all Indians will be indebted to him forever if he does so,” Mr Advani said after a meeting with members of Sarabjit’s family, including his sister Dalbir Kaur and wife Sukhbir Kaur.

Both joined Mr Advani’s Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday, news reports said.

“I hope that our government can put enough pressure on Pakistan to arrange for Sarabjit’s release,” he said. According to Pakistan’s records the man is also known as Manjit Singh, apparently an Indian spy.

“I hope that after Advaniji’s appeal, President Musharraf will release Sarabjit in the best interests of Indo-Pak relationship,” Dalbir Kaur was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.