Chandigarh, May 9 (IANS): Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay who was in a hospital here after being attacked in a Jammu jail last week died Thursday morning, doctors said.

Ranjay, who was extremely critical for the last few days and had suffered renal failure Wednesday, died just before 8 a.m. Thursday at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here.

The Pakistani was in deep coma ever since he was flown in here from Jammu last Friday. He was serving life imprisonment at Jammu's Kot Bhalwal Jail.

He was attacked last Friday by an Indian prisoner and then flown from Jammu to Chandigarh for treatment.

The information regarding his death has been given to the central government. The same is likely to be conveyed to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, officials said.

Ranjay had developed jaundice and other internal infections Tuesday, doctors said.

Two members of Ranjay's family had arrived here Tuesday from Pakistan. They had appealed to the Indian government to repatriate him to Pakistan.

The attack on Ranjay took place a day after Sarabjit Singh, an Indian prisoner in Pakistan, succumbed to grievous injuries following a murderous assault in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail.

Pakistan seeks international probe into Sanaullah's death

New Delhi, May 9 (IANS): The Pakistan High Commission has requested the Indian government to institute an international probe into the death of Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay, who died Thursday in a Chandigarh hospital after being attacked in Jammu jail last week.

"We have requested the government of India for an international inquiry into the brutal attack on the Pakistani citizen. We request the government of India to immediately give his body to his family members so the funeral can take place according to Islamic rituals," Manzoor Ali Memon, one of the three diplomats granted consular access to the prisoner, told a TV channel.

Sanaullah, who had been at the PGIMER hospital after his attack in Jammu's Kot Bhalwal jail May 3, died just before 8 a.m. Thursday.

"We are in deep grief and we are shocked. We express our deep condolences to Sanaullah's family and people of Pakistan for the brutal and extra judicial killing of the innocent citizen of Pakistan. The killing has taken place under the nose of Jammu and Kashmir jail authorities," Memon said.

The Pakistani had been in deep coma since he had been flown to Chandigarh from Jammu last Friday.

Sanaullah had suffered renal failure Wednesday.

"There is a need for agreement of security and safety of prisoners in jail," Memon told a news channel here.

The attack on Sanaullah took place a day after Sarabjit Singh, an Indian prisoner in Pakistan, succumbed to grievous injuries following a murderous assault in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail.

Sanaullah was arrested in 1996 and charged with involvement in a bomb blast at Katra near the Hindu shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in 1994 which left 10 people dead. He was serving life term in the Jammu jail.

India will hand over Sanaullah's body: Shinde

New Delhi, May 9 (IANS): India will send back the body of Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah, who succumbed to his injuries sustained in an attack in Jammu's Kot Bhalwal jail, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said Thursday.

"The ministry of external affairs is coordinating with the Pakistani authorities to complete the formalities to send his body back home," Shinde told reporters here.

Asked about Pakistan's demand for an international probe, Shinde said: "I cannot comment on this now as no demand has come to us till now. When the demand comes, I will tell you."

Sanaullah was hospitalised at the Chandigarh hospital after his attack May 3, and died just before 8 a.m. Thursday.

Pakistan has demanded an investigation into the incident and said the culprits must be brought to justice.

Abdullah apologizes to Sanaullah's family

Srinagar, May 9 (IANS): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday offered his "sincere apology" to the family of Sanaullah who died in a Chandigarh hospital six days after being attacked in a Jammu jail.

"Although it's scant consolation, I'd like to offer a sincere apology to the family..." Abdullah tweeted.

The chief minister regretted that such a thing should have happened at all, but assured that those responsible for dereliction of duty in this incident would not go unpunished.

"While the inquiry will fix responsibility for any dereliction of duty, the fact that this (happened) at all is a matter of great regret", he said in another post.

Abdullah thanked doctors at the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu and at PGIMER in Chandigarh for the efforts they made to save Sanaullah's life.

The state government has suspended the jail superintendent of the high security Kot Bhalwal jail where Sanaullah was serving a life term after being convicted by a court.

Vinod Kumar, a former Indian soldier who fatally attacked Sanaullah with a hoe, belongs to Uttrankhand and is being tried for murder.