AGP asks opposition not to politicise Kulbhushan Jadhav issue

ISLAMABAD: Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan has asked the opposition parties to refrain from politicising the Kulbhushan Jadhav issue, ARY News reported on Thursday.

In a joint sitting of Pakistan, a bill was passed to grant Kulbhushan Jadhav — a 50-year-Indian spy — the right to appeal as per the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Khalid Javed said that Indian attempts to isolate Pakistan have failed as New Delhi was planning to take the matter to the ICJ and the UNSC. The AGP said Kulbhushan Jadhav is an Indian spy and murderer of Pakistanis, but the legislation allowing Jadhav to appeal against his sentence has been done in the line with the ICJ’s ruling.

I’m ready to brief opposition parties if they want, AGP Khalid Javed Khan said and urged the opposition not to politicize the issue.

Jadhav’s arrest

Pakistani security agencies on March 24, 2016 apprehended an ‘on-duty RAW agent’ from Balochistan. The suspect was said to be an officer of the Indian navy working for the covert agency to destabilize Pakistan.

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The operative had contacts with banned organizations and was working on plans to break Karachi and Balochistan away from Pakistan, and to sabotage the billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

Indian take on the matter

On March 25, a day after the arrest, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said the Indian man arrested from Balochistan has no connection with the government, however, admitted that Kulbhushan is a former officer of the Indian navy.

“He (Jadhav) acquired premature retirement from the Indian navy and since then the government has nothing to do with him,” said Vikas Swarup, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, requesting Pakistan to grant counsellor access to the ‘arrested Indian citizen’.

Death sentence 

On April 10, COAS, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed his death sentence awarded by Field General Court Martial (FGCM).

The spy was tried through (FGCM) under Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded death sentence.

Jadhav was tried by FGCM under section 59 of Pakistan Army Act (PAA) 1952 and Section 3 of official Secret Act of 1923. FGCM found Kulbushan Sudhir Yadhav guilty of all the charges.

He confessed before a Magistrate and the Court that he was tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organize espionage / sabotage activities aiming to destabilize and wage war against Pakistan by impeding the efforts of Law Enforcement Agencies for restoring peace in Balochistan and Karachi.