The confirmation of the death sentence Sarabjit Singh by the Supreme Court of Pakistan Thursday has sent shock waves in his native Bikhiwind village, 45 km from Amritsar, on the Indo-Pak border.
A devastated Dalbir Kaur, Singh's sister, said she would request President A P J Abdul Kalam to hold a dialogue with his counterpart in Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf at the earliest since that country's Supreme Court had given two days to Singh file a mercy petition before the president.
"I would also request Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to come forward to save the life of Singh from the gallows," she told reporters.
Struggling hard to hold back her tears, Kaur threatened to commit suicide the day her brother is hanged in Pakistan and accused the Indian government of doing nothing to help Singh.
She also requested the governments of Pakistan and India to allow her to visit his brother in Kot Lakhpath Rai jail.
Kaur maintained that her brother had mistakenly strayed into Pakistan in June 1990 in an inebriated state through the Khalra border near their village.
Sarabjit's wife Sukhpreet Kaur and daughters Swapandip Kaur and Poonam have also appealed to Dr Singh to save him from the gallows and also sought permission to visit him in Pakistan.