Lahore, Jan 5 : Convicted Indian spy Sarabjeet Singh's lawyer Awais Sheikh has said that he anticipates his client's release in the wake of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari paying attention to the fresh mercy petition.

"This time, there are bright prospects of Sarabjeet Singh's release," The Express Tribune quoted Sheikh, as saying.

He expressed hope that that Singh's release would facilitate Indo-Pak peace dialogue.

He pointed out that Singh was to be released on August 14, 2011 in exchange for Pakistani prisoner Dr Syed Muhammad Khalil Chishti, but the Pakistan authorities retracted the decision when their Indian counterparts did not release Chishti.

The Indian court had earlier rejected Dr Chishti's plea seeking his acquittal in a murder case, for which he has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Sheikh said he had recently visited India and urged the authorities to speed up the release of Pakistani citizens lodged in Indian jails. (ANI)