Attack on Pakistani prisoner extremely distressing: Khurshid

On Board Special Aircraft: Terming as 'extremely distressing' the attack on a Pakistani prisoner in Jammu jail, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday said Pakistan will be provided all assistance and promised full investigation to fix responsibility for the assault.He rubbished any talks of retaliation and conspiracy in this "unfortunate" incident.He regretted that the incident took place even after the government of India had issued alert on the safety of Pakistani prisoners to all prisons and police authorities of all states in the aftermath of murderous attack on Sarabjit Singh in a Lahore jail.[caption id="attachment_750917" align="alignleft" width="380"] Salman Khurshid. PTI[/caption]"Injuries caused to a person in incarceration is unacceptable and sad. Therefore we are cooperating with Pakistan...," Khurshid told reporters accompanying him on a three-day visit to Iran."Despite the alert, this incident happened, it is unfortunate and extremely extremely distressing," he said.Khurshid said that administrative action has been taken, accountability is being fixed and there will be a full investigation.To a question, he agreed there is a concern over the safety of Indian prisoners in Pakistan as also Pakistani prisoners in India.When asked about reports that the attack on the Pakistani prisoner in Jammu jail was in retaliation to the assault meted out to Sarabjit in Lahore jail, he said, "People will try to imagine all kinds of things here and in Pakistan.He added, "The talks of retaliation, conspiracy, intent to kill can continue indefinitely if we continue on this path."Referring to the Jammu incident, Khurshid said the attacker and the victim knew each other well and used to smoke together."How it led to violence, it is too early to say."Referring to the deadly assault on Sarabjit, who succumbed to injuries day before yesterday, he said, "Whatever happened in Pakistan was extremely unfortunate. I don't think Pakistan can deny it."Khurshid emphasized that steps needed to be taken both in India and Pakistan to ensure that such incidents don't recur.Turning to Sarabjit's case, he said India had been repeatedly asking Pakistan to send him back as he had already served 20 years of imprisonment, which is normally life sentence. What happened here is a different case."Khurshid was asked whether Sarabjit could have been saved if Pakistan had heeded to India's request for shifting him to India or some other country in time."We can speculate only... it is unfortunate that we lost him."He said that India "genuinely believed" that Sarabjit should have been freed.He said there was public opinion in India in this regard and this was conveyed to Pakistan.PTI