Indian convict Sarabjit Singh, who was injured in an attack on Friday in Pakistan's Kot Lakhpat jail, is said to be in a serious condition. The Dawn quoting doctors attending on him reports, Singh's chances of survival are slim. He has been incubated and linked to the ventilator in the intensive care unit of Jinnah Hospital.

Singh suffered serious head injuries when fellow inmates attacked him in the jail on Friday. One of the doctors treating Singh said that the treatment has turned out to be a major neurosurgical challenge for the medical board. He said Singh had suffered a critical bone fracture. During clinical assessment it was established that Singh had diffused brain injury over a widespread area of his head that led to unconsciousness. Singh is in a separate intensive care unit in unprecedented police security and no one is allowed to see him except his doctors.

According to Punjab prison authorities, the attack on Singh was due to a security lapse. Police have formally opened an investigation into the attack.

In a related development, Pakistan today stopped consular access to Sarabjit Singh. Official sources said in New Delhi, two officials from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad were granted access to Sarabjit yesterday.They were, however, not allowed to visit him today.

Meanwhile, the family members of Sarabjit Singh, crossed over to Pakistan this afternoon to visit him in hospital. The family has been granted visas for 15 days to visit Pakistan. The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued the visas to the family last evening as a special case. Sarabjit's daughter has demanded that he be shifted from the Lahore's Jinnah Hospital to a better facility.