Former Union Law Minister and eminent advocate Ram Jethmalani has said that terrorists such as Ajmal Kasab, accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, should be awarded life imprisonment instead of death sentence.

Appealing to the judiciary to be extremely careful in awarding death sentences, he said that death penalty would only ease the pain of such terrorists, as most of them are brainwashed through indoctrination, which promises them that by killing people they would attain heaven.

Jethmalani, who was in the city to attend a function on the birth anniversary of prominent Sindhi playwright Govind Mali, said that death penalty should be given only in rare cases. “Here, I am specifically referring to the youth who are brainwashed through indoctrination to kill people and incite violence. They are made to believe that by doing such acts, they can attain heaven. However, youths such as Ajmal Kasab should rather be given rigorous punishments for 10 to 20 years, so that their minds are free from indoctrination,” he said.

The Rajya Sabha member, meanwhile, welcomed Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s statement about terrorism

in Kashmir. “He (Zardari) should have been given a hug for saying that the Indian government should not spare terrorists creating violence in the region,” Jethmalani said.

He also appreciated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s willingness to discuss the Balochistan issue with Islamabad. “It is a baseless allegation about India’s involvement in Balochistan. But through discussions with Pakistan, these issues could be resolved, which is a great move by the leader,” he said.

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