Pak Judge Slams Officials For Little Progress in Sarabjit Murder Case

In a significant ruling a Pakistani judge ordered the arrest of a jail official holding him responsible for the tardy pace of investigation into the high-profile murder case of Indian national Sarabjit Singh. The judge also slammed the officials for the slow pace of investigation and directed the Lahore police chief to ensure the appearance of Deputy Superintendent of Kot Lakhpat jail on February 17.

The judge said there had been "little" progress in Sarabjit's case who was murdered about four years ago at the Kot Lakhpat central jail in Lahore. During the hearing, the judge admonished the jail authorities for not cooperating with the court and also issued bailable arrest warrant for the Deputy Superintendent who despite repeated summons had failed to appear before the court.

Two Pakistani death row prisoners - Amir Tamba and Mudassar - had allegedly attacked Sarabjit in the Kot Lakhpat jail and killed him in May 2013. One-man judicial commission of Justice Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi of Lahore high court had initially investigated Sarabjit's murder case before the trial kicked off in the sessions court.

The one-man commission had also issued notices to Sarabjit's relatives through the foreign ministry to record their statements and to produce any evidence they had regarding his death. However, Sarabjit's family did not record their statements, the officials had said.

Tamba and Mudassar, in their statements to the commission, had confessed to the crime and said they killed Sarabjit as they wanted to avenge the killing of people in Lahore and Faisalabad in bomb blasts allegedly carried out by the Indian national.

Sarabjit had been sentenced to death for alleged involvement in a string of bombings in 1990.