Sarabjit embraced Islam, has a Muslim name Sarfaraz: Surjeet

June 29, 2012

Sarabjit_fine

Amritsar, June 29: Freed after a high decibel drama following Pakistan’s alleged flip-flop of first announcing the release of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh and later clarifying that it was Surjeet Singh who was to be repatriated, Surjeet Singh — who on Thursday crossed over to India from Pakistan after spending more than 30 years in prison — claimed that Sarabjit had “converted to Islam” and was now known as “Sarfaraz” in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail.

Surjeet also claimed that another Indian prisoner on death row in Pakistan, Kirpal Singh, had also “converted to Islam” and had a new name “Mohammed Din”.

Speaking to mediapersons at the information centre of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee after paying obeisance at Golden Temple, Surjeet said: “Sarabjit Singh and Kirpal Singh have converted to Islam. They probably did so in hope of getting mercy. But no mercy was granted to them. Pakistan authorities do not grant mercy to even their own nationals.”

When contacted, Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur denied that Sarabjit had converted to Islam. “This is not true at all. Sarabjit was a Gursikh, is a Gursikh and will remain a Gursikh. He has kept photos of Sikh gurus in jail and a Sikh religious book. He regularly recites from that book,” she said.

Dalbir added that during her visit to Pakistani jail to meet Sarabjit, she did heard people calling Kirpal Singh by a Muslim name. “But this is not the case with Sarabjit. Had he converted, he would have some Muslim name,” she said. “When I went to meet him in Pakistan, he was either addressed as Sarabjit or Manjit.”

When informed that Surjeet had claimed that Sarabjit had changed his name to “Sarfaraz” after “converting to Islam”, Dalbir insisted: “No way, Sarabjit remains Sarabjit and a Sikh and has not changed his name or converted to Islam.”

Dalbir also took exception to Surjeet’s statement that Sarabjit was hale and hearty in jail. “How can a person lodged in solitary confinement be happy? If this was the case, why will prisoners seek release?” she asked.

Meanwhile, Surjeet claimed that if things fell in place, he would ensure that Sarabjit was back home in three months. “Seven to eight MLAs of Pakistan are my very good friends. Even Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is my good friend. I have had breakfast with Zardari. And I will ensure Sarabjit’s release,” Surjeet said, alleging that the Pakistani media and the ISI were against Sarabjit’s release.

“It has to be done at the presidential level. If ISI comes to know about any effort for Sarabjit’s release, the agency will never allow it to happen,” he added. Saying that his and Sarabjit’s cases were entirely different, Surjeet added: “The case of Sarabjit, who faces charges of terrorism, is entirely different from mine. Neither India nor Pakistan would like to release terrorists.”

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News Network
May 27,2020

New Delhi, May 27: Professor Johan Giesecke of the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, on Wednesday claimed that India will ruin its economy very quickly if it had a severe lockdown.

Claiming that a strict lockdown may disrupt India's economic growth, Giesecke during an interaction with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said: "In India, you will do more harm than good with strict lockdown measures. India will ruin its economy very quickly if it had a severe lockdown."

While calling for a soft lockdown approach in India, he suggested that India has to ease restrictions one by one. It may, however, take months to completely come out of lockdown, he said.

He further criticised countries across the globe for having no post-lockdown strategy.

Emphasising on the disease, the Swedish health expert said that coronavirus is spreading like a wildfire across the world. "It is a very mild disease. Ninety-nine per cent infected people will have very less or no symptoms," he added.

Meanwhile, Ashish Jha, Director Harvard Global Health Institute and a recognised public health official, in interaction with Gandhi, called for a need to go in for an 'aggressive' COVID-19 testing to create confidence among people.

"When the economy is opened post-lockdown, you have to create confidence. There is a need for aggressive testing strategy in high-risk areas," he said.

He asserted that COVID-19 is not the last pandemic in the world, adding that "We are entering the age of large pandemics".

Jha further said that countries like South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong have responded the best to COVID-19 pandemic, while Italy, Spain, the US and the UK have responded the worst.

A few days ago, the Gandhi scion had interacted with former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan and Nobel Prize Winner Abhijit Banerjee to discuss various issues related to the COVID-19 crisis.

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News Network
May 7,2020

May 7: Two people, including a child, were killed and nearly 70 hospitalised after a gas leak at a chemical plant in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam in the wee hours of Thursday, officials said.

People in Gopalapatnam area, where the chemical plant, LG Polymers, is located, complained of irritation in eyes, breathlessness, nausea and rashes on their bodies.

District Collector V Vinay Chand said two people were killed due to the gas leak, while some are in a critical condition.

Close to 70 people have been admitted to the King George Hospital after for treatment, he said.

TV channels showed people lying unconscious on roads.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have rushed to the spot.

Reports said the gas leak has been contained.

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy enquired about the incident and directed the Visakhapatnam district collector to ensure proper medical care for the affected people.

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News Network
March 11,2020

New Delhi, Mar 11: A doctor in Kerala on Tuesday alleged that she was sacked by the management of the private clinic she was working with for informing authorities about a non-resident Indian (NRI) patient who reportedly declined to undergo the mandatory check for coronavirus.

Dr Shinu Syamalan said the patient had come to the clinic recently with suspected symptoms of the virus.

"When he was asked whether he had visited any foreign countries, he said he was coming from Qatar. But he had not reported to the Health department about his foreign trip," she said.

When he was directed to inform about his foreign travel to the state Health Department, which has been monitoring people coming from abroad for the virus, he refused and said he was going back to Qatar, she told reporters.

Concerned over the health of the person who had high fever, Ms Syamalan informed health and police authorities.

"Officials who let the patient go abroad do not have any problem, but I have become jobless," she posted on social media.

She alleged she was sacked by the management of the clinic for reporting the matter to police and informing the public about the incident through social media and through television.

"The argument of the management is that no one would turn up for treatment in the clinic if they come to know that it was visited by patients with suspected symptoms of Coronavirus," she said.

There was no immediate reaction from the management of the private health clinic.

Official sources said the District Medical Officer (DMO) at Thrissur has complained to the collector against Shinu Syamalan accusing her of defaming health officials.

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