India today urged Pakistan to punish those responsible for the death of Sarabjit Singh. He died in a Lahore hospital after a barbaric attack on him in jail. He was on death row.Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said it is regrettable that Islamabad did not heed the pleas by New Delhi to take a humanitarian view of the prisoner's case. The Prime Minister underlined that the criminals responsible for the barbaric attack must be brought to justice.
Ascertaning that Sarabjit Singh's death was the killing of an Indian citizen while in custody of Pakistani jail authorities, the External Affairs ministry demanded a though probe into the incident to ensure that culprits are brought to book. External Affairs Minister Salman Khursid said that he was extremely anguished over the murder. BJP leader Sushma Sawraj termed his death as cold blooded murder. I&B Minister Manish Tewari said that the Pakistani establishment must account for the death of Sarabjit Singh. Punjab Chief Minister Praksh Singh Badal demanded an independent probe by an international agency into the circumstances leading to the death of Sarabjit Singh. In Haryana people held demonstrations against Pakistan after Sarabjit Singh died in hospital in Lahore.

Pakistan today said the body of Sarabjit Singh, will be handed over to Indian authorities after the completion of all formalities. A statement from the Foreign Office said in Islamabad that the Pakistan government will continue to facilitate the early completion of all formalities and hand over the mortal remains of the prisoner to the Indian High Commission at the earliest possible.

India will send a special plane to Lahore to bring back the body of Sarabjit Singh. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was talking to reporters in New Delhi this afternoon. Shinde, however, did not specify when the plane will fly to Lahore. The Home Minister said New Delhi had tried its best to convince Islamabad to hand over the Indian who had been languishing in Pakistani jail for more than two decades.

Meanwhile Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi met the family of Sarabjit Singh. Mr Gandhi spent around 30 minutes with the family and consoled them.

Talking to media in New Delhi, Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur alleged that Sarabjit was killed in view of elections in Pakistan. She appealed to the political parties to come together to give an answer to Pakistan.