Islamabad, June 24 : The Pakistan Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the review petition filed by Sarabjit Singh challenging his death sentence, thus maintaining the death sentence awarded earlier.

According to The News, a three-member bench headed by Justice Raja Fayyaz dismissed Singh’s mercy plea after brief hearings for two days.

Meanwhile, Singh’s lawyer, Rana Abdul Hameed has admitted to lapses in mounting the defence in his case.

Hameed said he was not able to reach the court on time and missed the proceedings, which worked against the case and an ex-parte order was passed by the court.

Pakistan has so far refused to comment on the verdict.

Presidential spokesperson, Farhatullah Babar said that the government needed more time to study the case, and it can not comment on the apex court’s verdict.

Singh, who is currently languishing in the Kot Lakhpat jail, is a resident of Amritsar.

He was arrested near the Kasur border in Pakistan in August 1990.

Pakistan security agencies said that Singh had admitted that he was sent to Pakistan to carry out serial bomb blasts in Lahore, Faislabad, and Kasur, and was trained by the Indian Army, and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

Singh was awarded the death sentence by a Lahore anti-terrorism court in October 1991.

He challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court, however, the apex court quashed his appeal in September, 2005, saying that the review petition was not filed within the time period as mentioned in the law.

In March 2006, a two member Supreme Court bench dismissed Singh’s petition against his conviction in the Lahore’s Yakki Gate bomb blast in 1990.

Singh has been languishing in Pakistan jails for the last 28 years, as Pakistan has denied setting him free, despite continuous efforts by the Indian diplomatic channels. (ANI)