India seeks consular access to Sarabjit in Pak jail: govt

India has sought special consular access to Sarabjit Singh, on a death row in Pakistan for over two decades, after he complained of ill treatment.

India has sought special consular access to Sarabjit Singh, on a death row in Pakistan for over two decades, after he complained of ill treatment.

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"Government has seen communications from Sarabhjit Singh regarding his ill treatment in Pakistan Jail. In view of these reports, High Commission of India, Islamabad, has approached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan, to provide special consular access to Sarabhjit Singh at an early date," Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Sarabjit, 49, is currently being held at the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore and has been on death row for over 20 years. Sarabjit was convicted and sentenced to death for alleged involvement in a string of bombings in Punjab in 1990 that killed 14 people.

He has alleged the jail authorities were serving him "unhygienic" food, which was "difficult to eat", and he was being mistreated.