Sarabjit in coma, family to visit Pak - The Telegraph - Calcutta Telegraph

Islamabad, April 27: Pakistani doctors were "trying hard" to save Sarabjit Singh a day after the Indian was assaulted by fellow prisoners in a Lahore jail, sources said, as the death-row convict remained unconscious and on ventilator support. In the first official statement from the government, Pakistan's foreign office confirmed that the 49-year-old, convicted of alleged involvement in a series of deadly bombings, had suffered head injuries in a "scuffle" with other prisoners and was in Lahore's Jinnah Hospital. Police said they had slapped attempt-to-murder charges on two of the suspects, who are also on death row. In Amritsar, Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur said the Pakistan high commission in Delhi had granted the family visas and they planned to leave for Lahore tomorrow. "I think some inmates attacked him. I think that is very sad," a PTI report from Delhi quoted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as saying. Doctors and police officials said Sarabjit, who was hit with bricks and other blunt objects, had been put on ventilator support. "He remains unconscious and we are trying hard to save his life," a doctor at Jinnah Hospital said, but added that surgery was not possible till his condition stabilised. "We don't want to put his life in danger." Official sources said Sarabjit, who has also suffered injuries to his jaws, abdomen and other parts of his body, was in a "deep coma" because of extensive internal bleeding. Police sources said they had identified Aamir and Mudasir, as two of the attackers. "We have registered a case of attempted murder against Aamir and Mudasir, who attacked Singh with bricks and other blunt objects," a police official said. He said initial investigation had revealed the two had a heated exchange with Sarabjit before they assaulted him. Sources said Sarabjit, who was fearing for his life since the February execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, was assaulted by at least six prisoners. In its statement, the foreign office said Sarabjit had been "immediately evacuated" to hospital. The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan condemned the "dastardly" attack. "The authorities have obviously failed to do their elementary duty. They should have taken special care of Sarabjit Singh since his case is well known and the fellow prisoners' hostility towards him could have been anticipated," the commission said in a statement. A two-member team from the Indian high commission in Islamabad had visited the hospital on Friday night after being given consular access to the injured prisoner. via Top Stories - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNE_owSiiqq_MLotHYEKKewpDaRnlQ&url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130428/jsp/nation/story_16836936.jsp

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