Kashmir Singh

Kashmir Singh (b. 1941), who was an Indian spy, spent 35 years of his life in Pakistani prisons before he was released with the Presidential pardon by Pervez Musharraf.

Early life

In his early life, he was in he Indian Army from 1962-1966. After working in the Punjab Police for a while, he took up spying on a contractual basis at the rate of Rs. 400 per month. Thereafter, he entered Pakistan in the guise of Ibrahim, a Muslim name.cite web|date=2008-03-07|accessdate=2008-03-07|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kashmir_Singh_denies_conversion/articleshow/2843836.cms| first=Khushwant|last=Singh|title=Kashmir Singh denies conversion|work=The Times of India] Using this name, he checked into hotels and got identity cards during his task.

Arrest

In 1973, he was arrested on the 22nd Milestone on the Peshawar-Rawalpindi road by Pakistani intelligence officers.cite web|date=2008-03-03|accessdate=2008-03-07|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2834915.cms|title=Kashmir Singh released from Lahore jail|work=The Times of India] Upon arrest, he was accused of espionage and smuggling but it could not be proved by the authorities.cite web|date=2008-03-04|accessdate=2008-03-07|url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/ani/20080304/r_t_ani_nl_general/tnl-kashmir-singh-returns-to-india-after-99cbaa1_1.html|title=Kashmir Singh returns to India after 35 years in Pak jails|work=Yahoo! India News] At the time of his arrest, his family included his wife, Paramjit Kaur, and three children under the age of 10.

Subsequently in the same year, he was sentenced to death by a Pakistan Army court.cite web|date=2008-03-04|accessdate=2008-03-07|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7277718.stm|title=A powerful Indian love story|first=Asit|last=Jolly|work=BBC] This verdict was upheld by a civil court in between 1976 and 1977 and a mercy petition followed this, but to no avail. After being sentenced to an indefinite jail term, he said that he "was tortured third degree for the first few months by the authorities" as they pressurized him to confess of being an Indian spy. Singh was lodged in seven different jails in Pakistan and was "kept in solitary confinement and remained chained for 17 long years."cite web|date=2008-03-07|accessdate=2008-03-07|url=http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/I-was-a-spy-and-did-my-duty-says-Kashmir-Singh/281570/|title=I was a spy and did my duty, says Kashmir Singh|work=The Indian Express] For the total period of three and a half decades in captivity, he did not see the sky or have a single visitor.cite web|date=2008-03-06|accessdate=2008-03-07|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23325479-663,00.html|title=Hero's welcome for forgotten prisoner|work=Herald Sun]

Singh's entire family but for Paramjit, his wife had lost hope for his return. In 1986, when the Pakistan government released a few Indian prisoners, who were accused of spying, from the Lahore jail, the family knew that he was alive, but on a death sentence.cite web|date=2008-03-04|accessdate=2008-03-07|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=c037310c-98ec-437f-8c8f-1d6275bbd36f&MatchID1=4662&TeamID1=5&TeamID2=2&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1173&PrimaryID=4662&Headline=Kashmir+Singh+comes+home+after+35+yrs|title=Kashmir Singh comes home after 35 yrs|work=The Hindustan Times|first=Kuldeep|last=Mann]

Release

In 2008, the caretaker Human rights minister, Ansar Burney spotted him while visiting the Lahore jail. Burney said that Singh became mentally disabled after his years in jail. He immediately put up his case with the Government of Pakistan that sought Singh's release.cite web|date=2008-03-04|accessdate=2008-03-07|url=http://www.dawn.com/2008/03/05/top3.htm|title=Former spy back home to emotional welcome|work=Dawn] He further added that he had "fought his case on humanitarian grounds as he [Singh] had spent 35 years in jail."cite web|date=2008-03-07|accessdate=2008-03-07|url=http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14618756|title=Pak Minister defends his role in Singh’s release|work=Sify.com]

On seeing this, President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf expressed shock and disbelief and accepted this mercy petition and ordered for release and repatriation of Singh to India.

On March 4, 2008, he was released by Pakistan and entered India through the Wagah border amidst celebrations.cite web|date=2008-03-04|accessdate=2008-03-07|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/kashmir-singh-arrives-home-gets-a-heros-welcome/60473-3.html|title=Kashmir Singh arrives home, gets a hero's welcome. He admitted to spying for the Indian government saying "I spent 35 years in Pakistani jails and kept my mouth shut. I did my duty." |work=CNN-IBN] After he arrived in India, he told Indian news channels that he was indeed an Indian Spy, an accusation he denied when he was in Pakistani jail. He also said that he started to read the Muslim holy book the Koran, just to get the sympathy of his jailers, and that if he had to spy for India, he would do it again.

References