Was Pak activist Ansar Burney helping Sarabjit or exploiting his family?

Sarabjit Singh’s sister Dalbir Kaur in an emotional outburst, slammed Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney as a ‘fraud’, adding that had she paid ‘Rs 25 crore to Ansar Burney, Sarabjit would have returned to India". The statement was especially significant, given that Burney has been widely credited as being at the forefront of efforts to release Sarabjit Singh from prison for the last 12 years: But exactly who is Ansar Burney? Here are some key facts about him: [caption id=“attachment_745457” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Image from Wikimedia Commons[/caption] * Burney is a leading Pakistani human rights and civil rights activist, and is the Chairman of the Ansar Burney trust - a prominent human rights organisation. * He has been a prominent activist for prison reforms and prisoner rights - he has been reportedly successful in securing the release of around 700,000 confined persons from various sites around the world. As such, he is perhaps best known for his work for the release of illegally or wrongfully confined persons - he himself was arrested and sent to jail on three different occasions.( More here ) * Burney has consistently campaigned both the Pakistani Supreme Court and the various Presidents of Pakistan to commute the death sentence of all condemned prisoners in Pakistan to life imprisonment. He had also submitted a petition to the Pakistani President on behalf of Sarabjit Singh in 2012. * Speaking to Indian media shortly after the attack on Sarabjit Singh that later led to his death, he said “We had some clue Sarabjit Singh would be attacked”. He added that he would file another mercy petition to the Pakistan President to immediately release him and send him to India. * He has spoken out against child camel jockeys in Pakistan, sex slavery and child prostitution in Pakistan. * On 22 August 2011, Ansar Buney announced that following the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations at the end of Ramadan, he would initiate an anti-corruption movement in Pakistan based on the popular movement of Anna Hazare in India. * Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur has alleged that Burney was a fraud and gave her family false assurances. She added that “had she paid ‘Rs 25 crore to Ansar Burney, Sarabjit would have returned to India”