Chandigarh:
The officials of the Pakistan High Commission, who visited injured Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay in a Chandigarh hospital, today said that his medical condition shows that Sanaullah was subjected to "multiple assaults of unspeakable savagery".
The officials, however, said that doctors are pessimistic about his recovery or survival and have ruled out medical evacuation. Sanaullah was airlifted to Chandigarh's Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) yesterday, after he was attacked in a jail in Jammu.
The Pakistani officials visited Sanaullah after India granted consular access to them last night. (
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Sanaullah, 54, was assaulted with bricks by an ex-soldier convicted of murder. Doctors attending to him have said he has suffered a fracture in his skull. Doctors have also said there is severe fluid accumulation in his brain. (
Read: Sanaullah Ranjay on ventilator, say doctors)
Sanaullah is accused of detonating bombs at electric towers and government buildings in Jammu and Kashmir in 1990. He was sentenced to eight years imprisonment by a Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) court in 2008. (
Read: Five facts about Sanaullah Ranjay)
Pakistan wants India to allow Sanaullah to return home for treatment "on humanitarian grounds." It has alleged that the attack on him was an "obvious retaliation to the death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh."
The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered an inquiry into the assault on the Pakistani prisoner and the jail superintendent has been suspended.
The cases of Sarabjit Singh and Sanaullah Ranjay have provoked tension between India and Pakistan. After being attacked by the Opposition and Sarabjit's family for being too soft on Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday said, "The criminals responsible for the barbaric and murderous attack on Sarabjit Singh must be brought to justice."
On Friday, Pakistan responded with equally strong words, asking India to "investigate the matter thoroughly and punish the perpetrators of this atrocity."