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India will take up Sarabjit's case during Secretary-level talks: Krishna

      External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on Thursday assured the family members of Sarabjit Singh, who are extremely upset and perturbed by Pakistan 's U-turn, that New Delhi will take up this case before Islamabad very vigorously during the Secretary-level talks scheduled next month. "When we met Krishna , he assured us that 'Sarabjit's case will be put up very strongly, the whole government wants Sarabjit to be released'. Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh -- all of them want Sarabjit's case to be put up very strongly. He assured us that 'we will very soon put Sarabjit's case forward'," Sarabjit Singh's sister, Dalbir Kaur, told the media here after meeting Krishna . "Sarabjit's case will be put forward in the meeting scheduled next month. A message will also go there on behalf of the Prime Minister, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to release Sarabjit. I have full faith in my Indian Government and in particular Krishnaji," she added. Dalbir Kaur said that she also met Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur during the meeting, who assured that Sarabjit's case will be put up very strongly before Pakistan . "It felt very good to see that our government is serious about the Sarabjit case and very soon hold discussions with Pakistan in this regard. Sarabjit's agenda will figure during the secretary-level talks and even Krishnaji is going there. Krishnaji has assured us that he would bring Sarabjit back to India at any cost," she added. Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan will meet in New Delhi on July 4 and 5 to discuss peace and security including Confidence Building Measures, Jammu and Kashmir , and promotion of friendly exchanges. Krishna is also expected to visit Pakistan in August this year. He had earlier planned to visit Pakistan in July, but it has been deferred since the dates were clashing with the presidential election here. Dalbir Kaur further said that she would also be meeting UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and raise this issue before them. "We would also be meeting Sonianji, Rahulji and the Prime Minister. I hope the Prime Minister will give us time soon," she said. Krishna had earlier today expressed delight over the release of Indian prisoner Surjeet Singh, and hoped Pakistan would release Sarabjit Singh as well. "I am happy that Surjeet Singh is being released, and I hope that Pakistan will also seriously ponder and consider and release Sarabjit Singh," he told the media here. Krishna had earlier on Wednesday said that New Delhi has consistently urged the Government of Pakistan on several occasions to take a sympathetic and humanitarian view in the case of Sarabjit Singh. Hours after reports emerged that Pakistan was to free Sarabjit Singh, the presidential spokesman late Tuesday clarified that the authorities had taken steps for the release of another Indian prisoner named Surjeet Singh. It was earlier reported that Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has converted Sarabjit Singh's death sentence to life imprisonment and directed authorities to release him if he had completed his prison term. Forty nine-year-old Sarabjit, who has spent 21 years on death row, is currently being held at Lahore 's Kot Lakhpat Jail. Sarabjit, who was condemned to death for his involvement in a string of bombings in Punjab in 1990, had earlier last month filed a fresh clemency appeal to President Zardari.

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