Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 27 (IANS): Pakistan should look at the case of death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh sensitively and compassionately, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said Wednesday.

"I have come to know that Surjeet Singh's death sentence was commuted to life term in 2004 during regime of an earlier president and he is now on a life term... and is being released," Soni told reporters.

The minister added that she was sure that Pakistan authorities would look at the issue "sensitively, compassionately" and release both Surjeet Singh and Sarabjit Singh.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram said it was difficult to figure out how what happened.

"I cannot say why they appeared to put out that Sarabjit is the person who is being released and then they flipped and said that it is Surjeet who is being released," said Chidambaram.

On June 26, the Pakistani media had carried reports of Sarabjit getting a presidential pardon. However, Islamabad clarified late evening that it was not Sarabjit but Surjeet Singh, his fellow inmate at Kot Lakhpat jail, who would be released.