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'There was negligence at one level'

Last updated on: May 2, 2013 20:57 IST
A car carrying two Indian diplomats arrives at Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore

Pakistan Punjab Province caretaker Chief Minister Najam Sethi rejected any conspiracy behind Sarabjit's death in an interview to CNN-IBN after Sarabjit Singh's death. 

Transcript of the interview

Criminal negligence of jail authorities

The jail authorities or the administration were not expecting anything like this. There was not even any hint. They were more worried about terrorism and attack from outside on the jail. It never occurred to us that Sarabjit was in danger at any stage.

It has never happened in our jail. It's very rare for prisoners to attack other inmates inside a jail. Yes, there was negligence at one level. That's why we have suspended seven jail officials. That's why we have announced one home secretary level inquiry and also today (Thursday) I announced inquiry at judicial level.

Conspiracy to kill Sarabjit

It's unfortunate this view if held in India. I will be stunned, shocked if an iota of this ever be true. I don't thing this is the case. Everything I read from internal subjects suggests this is an act of two prisoners on death row. You know the mental state of two prisoners on death row and during there interactions with Sarabjit they were together. I don't think there is an iota of truth in this suspicion."

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'I am not aware of any conspiracy'

Last updated on: May 2, 2013 20:57 IST
Punjab Province caretaker Chief Minister Najam Sethi in Islamabad

Sarabjit receiving death threats

I've not seen any evidence of this short....I've just come in and I've not seen the earlier files. What I can say is that there was negligence but I am not aware of any conspiracy.

Internal inquiry

I've ordered an internal inquiry. I can't share about it. It's a matter of the foreign office.

It's not just a provincial matter. I've also ordered judicial inquiry. Both the home secretary level inquiry and the judicial inquiry will be turned over to the foreign office. I see no reason why both the countries sometime should sit together and discuss the issue.

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