New Delhi: Government sources in Islamabad have told CNN-IBN that Sarabjit Singh cannot be hanged until three mercy petitions are disposed of.
According to the sources, crucial technical issues have also cast serious doubts about the case against Sarabjit and his conviction on charges of setting of four bomb blasts.
Four FIRs on the bomb blast case were opened in four different police stations and two districts.
None of them mentioned Sarabjit by name. In fact Sarabjit was never identified as the bomber in a line up.
His confession made to police and not any magistrate - only related to entering Pakistan illegally.
The witness who made a statement against Sarabjit said that he was forced to do so. However, he also never took the oath.
Sarabjit's 18 years on death row is equivalent to life imprisonment and even if his sentence is commuted he cannot serve a life term again.
Sarabjit's execution was deferred for 30 days Musharraf last month so that Pakistan's new government could review his case following an appeal for clemency from the Indian government. He was originally set to be hanged on April 1.
He was sentenced to death for alleged involvement in four bomb attacks in Punjab province in 1990 that killed 14 people. Sarabjit, currently being held in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail, on Saturday reiterated that he was innocent and that he had not committed the crimes he was convicted for.
Sarabjit, who Pakistan claims is Manjit Singh, was sentenced to death in 1991 by a Pakistani court.
His family denies he is a spy as claimed by Pakistan and insists he accidentally strayed into Pakistani territory.
However, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday made a fresh appeal to the Pakistan government to grant clemency to Sarabjit on humanitarian grounds.
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