The Foreign Office announced on Friday that the mother and
wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav have been given permission to visit the Indian
spy in Pakistan.
During the weekly briefing at the FO,
spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said that India has been notified of
Islamabad's decision to allow Jadhav's wife and mother to visit him.
The spokesperson said that the visit will take place on December 25.
He
added that an official of the Indian High Commission will be allowed to
be present during the visit and complete security will be provided to
the visitors.
Jadhav was handed a death sentence by a Pakistani Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in April after trial for involvement in espionage and sabotage activities in Karachi and Balochistan.
During the briefing, the spokesperson added that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is Pakistan and China's mutual project.
Islamabad and Beijing will jointly decide on the inclusion of any other country in the project, he said.
Response to Washington's warning
Responding to a statement made by CIA Director Mike Pompeo last week, the FO said that all terrorist safe havens in Pakistan have been destroyed.
A day before US Secretary of Defence James Mattis arrived in Islamabad
to hold talks with the civil and military leadership, Pompeo had warned
Pakistan that if it does not eliminate the alleged safe havens inside
its territory, the United States will do “everything we can” to destroy
them.
"The statement that came a day before an important
visit was unnecessary and contrary to the facts," the spokesperson said
during today's briefing.
He added that during his visit, Mattis had praised the professional conduct of Pakistan's armed forces.
During the briefing, the FO expressed concern in relation to US President Donald Trump's decision to relocate the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
"This
move will prove dangerous for peace in the region," the spokesperson
said, adding that Washington's decision is a violation of international
law.
The spokesperson said that in 2017, India had
violated the Line of Control 1,300 times and as a result, 52 citizens
had been killed and 175 had been injured.
He condemned the extra-judicial killings of eight young Kashmiris and destruction of houses by Indian forces.
Dr Faisal added that in this regard Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has also written to his Indian counterpart.
The
spokesperson noted that incidents of kidnapping of Pakistanis from
Afghanistan are increasing. He asked Pakistani citizens in Afghanistan
to take caution and register with the Pakistan Embassy on an urgent
basis.
He welcomed Prince Karim Aga Khan, who arrived in
the country on Thursday on the invitation of Pakistani government, and
London Mayor Sadiq Khan who is wrapping up his three-day visit to
Pakistan.
Pakistan sentences Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to death
In a rare move, a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) on
Monday handed Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav the death sentence after
trial for involvement in espionage and sabotage activities in Karachi
and Balochistan.
Jadhav was arrested on March 3, 2016,
through a counter-intelligence operation in Balochistan's Mashkel area
for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against
Pakistan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
"The
spy was tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under the
Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded the death sentence. Today Chief of
Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed his death sentence awarded by
FGCM," the military's media wing said.
The accused had been provided with a defending officer as per legal provisions.
India terms it 'premeditated murder'
India summoned Pakistan's High Commissioner to New Delhi Abdul Basit and handed over a demarche
saying, "If this sentence against an Indian citizen, awarded without
observing basic norms of law and justice, is carried out, the government
and people of India will regard it as a case of premeditated murder."
The
India's Ministry of External Affairs in its statement claimed that "the
proceedings that led to the sentence against Jadhav are farcical in the
absence of any credible evidence against him".
The
Indian authorities further claimed that they had repeatedly sought
consular access to Jadhav. "Requests to that effect were formally made
13 times between March 25, 2016, and March 31, 2017. This was not
permitted by the Pakistani authorities," reads the demarche.
What we know
- Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested in March 2016 in Balochistan
- He was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial
- Jadhav confessed before the court that he was tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organise subversive activities in Karachi, Balochistan
- Jadhav was provided a defending officer as per legal provisions
Pakistan had, however, turned down India's request seeking
consular access to Jadhav last year due to his involvement in
"subversive activities" in Pakistan.
Experts view the
military's announcement about Jadhav's trial and prosecution as an
unprecedented move, viewing it as a strong message to India as well as
other foreign intelligence agencies.
Jadhav's trial
Jadhav was tried by the FGCM under Section 59 of the PAA and Section 3 of the official Secret Act of 1923, the statement said.
Jadhav
confessed before a magistrate and court that he was tasked by Indian
spy agency Research and Analysis wing to plan, coordinate and organise
espionage and sabotage activities seeking to destabilise and wage war
against Pakistan through impeding the efforts of law enforcement
agencies for the restoration of peace in Balochistan and Karachi, the
ISPR said.
Jadhav's confession
Jadhav's earlier confessional statement was aired by then
ISPR head Lt Gen Asim Bajwa, in which he admitted to involvement in
terror activities in Balochistan and Karachi.
Terming
the Indian spy's arrest a 'big achievement', Bajwa said at the time that
Jadhav was directly handled by the RAW chief, the Indian National
Security Adviser and the RAW joint secretary.
"His goal
was to disrupt development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC), with Gwadar port as a special target," Bajwa had said, adding,
"This is nothing short of state-sponsored terrorism... There can be no
clearer evidence of Indian interference in Pakistan."
"If
an intelligence or an armed forces officer of this rank is arrested in
another country, it is a big achievement," Bajwa had said, before going
on to play a video of Jadhav confessing to Indian intelligence agency
Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) involvement in Balochistan separatist
activities in Pakistan.
Future course of action
Jadhav now has got 40 days to file an appeal against the FGCM in
the army’s court of appeal, according to retired Col Inamur Rahim, a
military law expert.
In case the appeal court upholds the
FGCM verdict, Jadhav would have the opportunity to seek mercy from the
army chief and the president of Pakistan.
Simultaneously,
Col Inam said, the convict could approach a high court if he felt that
due process was not observed during his trial and his fundamental rights
as an accused were not fulfilled.
'Can diplomacy work?'
Leading Indian journalist Suhasini Haidar raised the
question of how the sentencing may affect Pak-India ties. "With
India-Pakistan relations at their lowest, wonder if diplomacy can work.
Even US-Russia were able to conduct spy swaps during cold war," she
said.
Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti speaking to
DawnNews said he believes the decision is a good one. "There are foreign
elements involved in terrorist activities in Balochistan," he claimed.
"I believe this is a good decision."
Defence analyst
Ikram Sehgal agreed with Bugti's view, saying, "What happened today was
correct. He [Jadhav] confessed his crime, he had people killed... After
due process, his punishment should be carried out. They [India] will
deny that he was not a spy, but he accepted that he was a spy. He gave
full details in his confession of his networks as well."
"Pakistan
has sent a message that if somebody does such activities here, it will
hand them severe punishment. Those operating against the state will face
a similar fate," Sehgal added.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Asad Umar also believes Jadhav's sentencing is "a good decision".
Pak-India tensions simmer
Today's development comes at a time when tensions between Pakistan and India run high.
The past six months have seen a war of words between officials from the Indian and Pakistani governments.
Ties
between the nuclear-armed neighbours worsened after India blamed
Pakistan for an attack on an Indian military camp in Uri inside
India-held Kashmir on Sept 18, 2016 where around 20 Indian soldiers were
killed.
India alleged that Pakistan-backed terrorists
were involved in the attack and initially claimed that weapons recovered
from them bore Pakistani markings. However, this assertion was debunked
by the Indian media itself, forcing the Indian DGMO to retract the
claim.
Since then, frequent episodes of firing have been
reported by the Pakistan military on the Line of Control. The escalation
continued when India claimed it carried out "surgical strikes" across
the control line on Sept 29, claims Pakistan rejected as baseless.
Certain sections of Indian media have reported prominently that Pakistan has sentenced a former Indian naval officer to death.
They
also claimed that Jadhav possessing an Indian passport proves he is
innocent as no "intelligence agency ever runs an agent in enemy
territory with identity documents connecting him to the agency’s
country".
Transcript of RAW agent Kulbhushan’s confessional statement
ISLAMABAD: The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR)
released on Tuesday a confessional video statement of Indian spy agent
Kulbhushan Yadav admitting to foment terrorism in Balochistan and
Karachi.
He was arrested red-handed by law-enforcement
agencies in the first week of the current month while infiltrating into
Pakistan from the Saravan border area of Balochistan with Iran.
Following
is the full text of his voluntarily confession shown at a press
conference jointly addressed by Minister for Information, Broadcasting
and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid and ISPR Director General
Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa at the Press Information
Department.
“My name is Commander Kulbhushan Yadav and I
am the serving officer of Indian Navy. I am from the cadre of
engineering department of Indian Navy and my cover name was Hussein
Mubarik Patel, which I had taken for doing some intelligence gathering
for Indian agencies.
“I joined the National Defence
Academy in 1987 and subsequently joined Indian Navy in Jan 1991 and
subsequently served for the Indian Navy till around December 2001 when
the Parliament attack occurred and that is when I started contributing
my services towards gathering of information and intelligence within
India.
“I live in the city of Mumbai in India. I am still
the serving officer in the Indian Navy and will be due for retirement
by 2022 as a commissioned officer in Indian Navy after having completed
14 years of service by 2002.
“I commenced intelligence
operation in 2003 and established a small business in Chabahar in Iran
as I was able to achieve undetected existence and visits to Karachi in
2003 and 2004 and having done some basic assignments within India for
RAW.
“I was picked up by RAW in 2013 end. Ever since I
have been directing various activities in Balochistan and Karachi at the
behest of RAW and deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi, I
was basically the man for Mr Ani Kumar Gupta who is the joint secretary
of RAW and his contacts in Pakistan especially in Balochistan Student
Organisation.
“My purpose was to hold meetings with Baloch insurgents and carry out activities with their collaboration.
“These activities have been of criminal nature, leading to killing of or maiming of Pakistani citizens.
“I
realise during this process that RAW is involved in some activities
related to the Baloch liberation movement within Pakistan and the region
around it.
“There are finances which are fed into the
Baloch movement through various contacts or various ways and means into
the Baloch liberation (movement) and various activities of the Baloch
liberation and RAW handlers go towards activities which are criminal,
which are anti-national, which can lead to maiming or killing of people
within Pakistan and mostly these activities were centred around of what I
have knowledge is of ports of Gwadar, Pasni Jewani and various other
installations, which are around the coast damaging various other
installations, which are in Balochistan.
“So the activity
seems to be revolving and trying to create a criminal sort of mindset
within the Baloch liberation which leads to instability within Pakistan.
In my pursuit towards achieving the set targets by my handlers in RAW, I
was trying to cross over into Pakistan from the Saravan border in Iran
on March 3, 2016, and was apprehended by Pakistani authorities while on
the Pakistani side and the main aim of this crossing over into Pakistan
was to hold (a) meeting with Baloch separatists in Balochistan for
carrying out various activities, which they were supposed to undertake
and carrying backwards the messages which had to deliver to Indian
agencies.
“The main issues regarding this were that they
were planning to conduct some operations within the next immediate
(near) future so that was to be discussed mainly and that was the main
aim of trying to coming into Pakistan.
“So that moment I
realised that my intelligence operations have been compromised on my
being detained in Pakistan, I revealed that I am an Indian naval
officer, and it is on mentioning that I am Indian naval officer, the
total perception of the establishment of the Pakistani side changed and
they treated me very honourably and they did utmost respect and due
regards and have handled me subsequently on a more professional and
proper courteous way and they have handled me in a way that befits that
of an officer and once I realised that I have been compromised in my
process of intelligence operations, I decided to just end the mess I
have landed myself in and just wanted to subsequently move on and
cooperate with the authorities in removing complications which I have
landed myself and my family members into, and whatever I am stating just
now, it is the truth and it is not under any duress or pressure. I am
doing it totally out of my own desire to mention and come clean out of
this entire process which I have gone through last 14 years.”
