Iqbal also wrote a letter to Katju in which he said that he acknowledged Katju`s bold step of making an appeal to Zardari for the release of Sarabjit Singh. "All peace loving people in Pakistan has appreciated your appeal and expressed their support for it," Iqbal wrote to Katju. `The Balochistan Times`, a prominent Pakistani newspaper of which Iqbal is the Editor-in-chief, has also published a special news comment highlighting Katju`s appeal to President Zardari.
"The comment supports your appeal, requesting the President to give it due consideration on humanitarian grounds, suggesting that pardon, if granted, may prove to be a turning point culminating in a full-fledged peace process," Iqbal wrote to Katju. The Press Council Chairperson had used the opportunity of Zardari`s recent visit to India to ask for the release of Sarabjit.
In a letter addressed to Zardari, Katju had said that his visit to India and Ajmer Sharif had created a climate for good relations between the two countries and Sarabjit`s release could further boost the ties. "By doing so (releasing Sarabjit) you will add to the excellent impression among Indians created by your recent visit to Delhi and Ajmer Sharif," Katju had written.