Sarabjit’s village erupts in joy, family turns emotional

The border village of Sarabjit Singh in Punjab erupted in joy today following his imminent release from Pakistan with his family calling it a “relieving” moment and an act of kindness from President Asif Ali Zardari.

Emotional scenes were witnessed at the house of 49-year-old Sarabjit in Bikhiwind where hundreds of villagers gathered after the news of commutation of his death sentence into life imprisonment by Zardari broke out. People thronged their house with sweets and good wishes.

“It is a relieving news for me from Pakistan which did a lot for Indians and every Indian would always remember this act of kindness of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari,” said Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur with her eyes turning moist. Kaur was struggling hard for the last two decades to get her brother freed from a Pakistan prison.

Kaur said she expected the release of her brother in a couple of days and him to cross over to India through the land transit route of Attari/Wagah border.

Sarabjit’s two daughters Swapandeep Kaur and Poonam couldn’t control their emotions and broke down.

His wife Sukhpreet said, “…for me it is a kind of new birth since my two daughters would get their father back from the Pakistan prison where there was no hope of repatriation to India.”

Swapandeep and Poonam said they were immensely happy.

“After 22 years, we have got this good news. We are very happy,” Swapandeep said adding “words are not enough to describe this joyous occasion.”

“I want to thank every Indian who prayed for us and every Pakistani who helped us,” Swapandeep said.

Profusely thanking the media, she said it had played a “great role in my dad’s release”.