HOUSTON, Tx: United Sikh appeal has addressed a clemency appeal to Pakistan President, Mr. Zia ul Haq, signed by 142 persons in respect of the Sikhs sentenced to death and life imprisonment by a Lahore Court in the hijacking cases. The appeal has been forwarded to President ZiaulHaq by S. Jasbir Singh Sethi of Houston, Texas, The petition relates to Harinder Singh, Parminder Singh, and Dalip Singh (sentenced to death) and Gajinder Singh, Jasvir Singh, Tejinder Singh and Satnam Singh (sentenced to life imprisonment)
Text of the appeal is as follows:“ We, the undersigned people from the World over, are saddened to hear of the decision of the court of the Honourable Justice Fazal Karim, the distinguished and learned judge of Pakistan relating to the above mentioned individuals and the sentences passed on them.
We earnestly request you to set aside the sentences, for their acts were the consequences of grave provocation in the light of the tragic happenings in Punjab and in India. Most of the accused are young men, merely boys past their teen. We remind you that the accused hold Indian passports and that hijackers in India are known to have been freed and in fact rewarded with public offices. We hope that Rajiv Gandhi’s warming in mid-1985, that the accused must be sentenced to death, did not have any influence on the judgement of the Court.
Since there was no loss of life or property or injury, we once again be search your honour to grant them reprieve from the sentence.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 28, 1986
