ISLAMABAD – Former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav 47, who iscurrently on death row in Pakistan, is presently undergoing trial onterrorism and sabotage charges, Dawn reported on Monday. Jadhav, who wasarrested on March 3 last year from the restive Balochistan province, asclaimed by Pakistan, has multiple cases on him and the one related tospying had concluded, Dawn quoted an official as saying.
Meanwhile, Islamabad said it was still awaiting New Delhi’s response onaccess to 13 Indian officials to corroborate information in the case – afact that the Shahid Abbasi government also mentioned in thecounter-memorial submitted at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Theofficial said multiple requests were made to India, but it had turned adeaf ear to them.
Dawn quoted a source in New Delhi as saying that among the officials whomPakistan sought access were National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and aformer RAW chief. Pakistan believes the officials were Jadhav’s handlersand were engaged in recruiting people to carry out subversive activities inBalochistan. Others that Pakistan wants to access include intelligenceoperatives, bankers and passport officials.
Pakistan has sought information about Jadhav’s Navy service file, bankrecord of his pension payment, and issuance of the passport in the name ofMubarak Hussain Patel.
“We have asked if the passport is fake (then) how he exited Mumbai andDelhi airports 18 times,” the official said. Details of Jadhav’s propertiesin Mumbai and Pune, which he had acquired with the alias Hussain MubarakPatel has also been sought.
The International Court of Justice is currently hearing an Indian petitionchallenging Pakistan’s refusal to grant consular access to Jadhav. The ICJhas set separate deadlines for India and Pakistan for the filing of thewritten pleadings by them in the case.
April 17 and July 17 have been fixed as “time-limits” for India andPakistan respectively.
The former Navy officer was in April last year sentenced to death by amilitary court after being found guilty of espionage.
India, however, has maintained that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where hehad business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy. His appealsagainst the conviction have been rejected by the military appellate courtand his mercy petition is lying with Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa.
The Pakistan government on December 25 had hosted a meeting between Jadhavand his mother and wife, which turned into a verbal spat between the twonations, with New Delhi accusing Islamabad of mistreatment of his familymembers.