Jadhav sentence: India to file appeal

India on Friday informed Pakistan that it will appeal against the death sentence handed down to former navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav by a military court of that country on charges of spying.

This was conveyed by the Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Gautam Bambawale, to Pakistan foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua. As a first step, the Indian envoy demanded copies of the charge sheet and the judgement.

Bambawale said, “We would definitely appeal against the judgement but we cannot do it unless we have the details of charges and copy of the verdict. So, my first demand was to provide us the details of the charge sheet and copy of the verdict.”

The Indian envoy also raised the issue of consular access to Jadhav. “They have denied our request for consular access 13 times (in the last one year). I have again requested the Pakistan foreign secretary to give access to Jadhav so that we can appeal,” he said.

Tehmina, however, claimed that consular access need not be provided because this was a case of espionage. Bambawale said Pakistan could not reject India’s request as international law and convention did not provide for such an exception.

In a sign that Islamabad will harden its position, Pakistan prime minister’s advisor on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, issued a statement listing out some specific charges against Jadhav.Aziz, who had told the senate in December that evidence against Jadhav was not conclusive, said the conviction was based on “credible and specific evidence”.

So far, Islamabad has offered few details of the charges levelled against Jadhav. The charges, read out by Aziz, include: “He sponsored and directed IEDs and grenade attacks in Gwadar and Trubat in Balochistan province.

He directed attacks on the radar station and civilian boats in the sea opposite Jiwani Port. He funded subversive secessionist and terrorist elements through Hawala/Hundi for subverting the Pakistani youth against the country, especially in Balochistan.”

Aziz claimed that “Jadhav sponsored explosions of gas pipelines and electric pylons in Sibi and Sui areas in Balochistan.

He sponsored IED explosions in Quetta in 2015, causing massive damage to life and property. He sponsored attack on Hazaras in Quetta and Shia Zaireen (pilgrims) en route to and back from Iran.”

Jadhav “abetted” attacks through anti-state elements against “LEAs/FC (law enforcement agencies/Frontier Corps) and FWO (Frontier Works Organisation) in areas of Turbat, Punjgur, Gwadar, Pasni and Jiwani during 2014-15, killing and injuring many civilians and soldiers.”

However, Indian officials said the statement read out by Aziz at a news briefing in Islamabad did not contain any evidence whatsoever to back up the charges against Jadhav.

Bambawale said he has no information about former Pakistani army officer Mohammad Habib who reportedly went missing from Nepal. Pakistani officials suspect that Indian spy agencies were behind his disappearance.