Click to play videoThiruvananthapuram: Eighty-four-year-old M Kunhammad lives in the Malapuram district of Kerala but is a Pakistani citizen. He along with 90 others who still hold Pakistani passports are now planning to write to the Pakistan government pleading for Indian prisoner Sarabjit's release.
“Even if this man has done something wrong, I think he has suffered enough. He should now be freed on humanitarian grounds so that he can come back to his people,” Kunhammad said.
His words reflect the trauma they themselves are going through. Kunhammed and the others were working in Karachi in 1947. At the time of partition they had no choice but to take up Pakistani citizenship, they now have to extend their stay permits every five months to be with their families in Kerala.
Meanwhile, a rights organisation is also harnessing their support for Sarabjit.
“Within the next four days we will be collecting signatures of Pakistan citizens residing here in support of Sarabjit as a part of this mission. This will be handed over to the Pakistani government and the United Nations. We will send a copy of that to the Indian Government also,” General Secretary, PUCL, PA Pouran said.
These people now hope that Pakistan would listen to voices of its own citizens, even if they no longer live on Pakistani soil.
(With inputs from Radhakrishnan in Malappuram)
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