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Defence Experts term Pak's act 'heinous', demand speedy action by India

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ANI New Delhi [India]
Last Updated : Apr 11 2017 | 6:42 AM IST

Dubbing Pakistan's announcement of death sentence to alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav as a 'heinous' act, the Defence Experts on Tuesday said Islamabad is thick-skinned.

Speaking to ANI, Defence Expert Ranjeet Rai said Pakistan has denied consular access to India in many such cases, which is a right given to any country under the Geneva Convention article 36 (c) 1.

Rai further said the Pakistan military has taken advantage of the statement made by the Home Minister of Balochistan saying that Jadhav created war against Balochistan and have now put him under a death sentence.

Rai said after coming to know that Jadhav is an ex-naval officer and had worked in intelligence, Pakistan used this ploy to act against him.

"It is a very heinous act by Pakistan. Actually, Pakistan doesn't believe in any international convention.The Home Minister of Balochistan, last year in March said, he (Jadhav) has created war against Balochistan. Now, the military has taken advantage of that very wrongly and tried him under the Army Act, Official Secrets Act and put a death sentence on him without telling the Indian High Commission to come and see the trial. Pakistan is thick-skinned. Pakistan does this with its military and ISI against India, including terrorism," Rai added.

Resonating similar views, another Defence Expert Praful Bakshi called out to Indian authorities to take swift action regarding the same.

He said it should be confirmed whether complete judicial guarantees were accorded to Jadhav during his trial.

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Bakshi also suggested approaching the International Court of Justice regarding the matter.

"The Pakistan Military Accord has held Kulbhushan Jadhav as a criminal and handed him over a death sentence. The Committee of the Nations, right thinking people have to find out whether complete judicial guarantees were accorded to Kulbhushan Jadhav. Even if it is a military court in any country, the person who has been accused is given full rights to defend himself. So, we have to find out this. India has to raise this. Perhaps, the Foreign Minister has to make a straight call to his counterpart in Pakistan. The Pakistan Army behaves quite independently in these matters," Bakshi told ANI.

Earlier today, the Pakistan Military sentenced Jadhav to death, its media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

"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 ISPR said.

Strongly reacting to this, India summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and issued a demarche.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was not even informed about Jadhav's trial in the court.

The ministry added that the subsequent presence of Jadhav, who was kidnapped last year from Iran, has never been explained credibly by the Pakistani authorities.

Earlier in March 2016, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the former Indian naval officer was arrested by Pakistan for allegedly engaging in subversive activities was possibly kidnapped from Iran and denied any possibilities of him being involved in subversive activities in Pakistan.

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First Published: Apr 11 2017 | 6:42 AM IST

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