Amir Tambaywala, a death-row inmate charged with the murder of an Indian spy Sarabjit, who was involved in carrying out several terrorist attacks, reportedly escaped a murder attempt in Kot Lakhpat Jail on the country’s Independence Day. “Have a bite. Every one outside is celebrating Jashn-e-Azadi,” Amir’s Cell In-charge Bao Bashir and Rana Latif offered him a piece of cake. “After you,” replied Amir, who had already been informed about his murder plot. A quarrel ensued and later jail officials ‘ran off trembling’ when Amir disclosed to them that he already knew that the cake was poisoned. Sources in Kot Lakhpat Jail and Amir’s mother told Pakistan Today that a few fellow inmates residing with Amir in the jail had been plotting his murder. Amir narrated the incident to his mother on the phone, which in itself is another security lapse on jail officials’ part, while it was also confirmed by a jail source seeking anonymity. “My son told me that a few men were trying to kill him. I am really worried about my son. He is going through his punishment already. Please don’t kill him before his time. I demand adequate security be provided to my son,” Amir’s mother told Pakistan Today. Sources further confided in Pakistan Today that Amir’s friend and death-row inmate Mudassar and a few others staged a hunger strike after the attack on Amir and demanded that they be provided adequate security. On the other hand, Kot Lakhpat Jail Deputy Superintendent Mazhar denied the occurring of such an incident and said, “It is our duty to protect the inmates and no such incident occurred in the jail while neither a hunger strike was staged.” Amir Tambaywala and Mudassar had earlier confessed killing Sarabjit. “We believe that killing Sarabjit was an act of virtue (sawab). If anyone of our friends gets hold of Sarabjit’s body, it will be publicly burnt to ashes! Only then will the heirs of the martyrs find some peace.” were the words of Mudassar and Amir when the Kot Lakhpat Jail Investigation Incharge Chaudhary Rehmat Ali asked them to comment on their intentions behind assaulting the Indian spy. Indian death-row prisoner Sarabjit Singh died of a cardiac arrest earlier in May after being comatosed for nearly a week following a brutal assault by Amir and Mudassar in Kot Lakhpat Jail.
