India, Pak should talk, resolve Kulbhushan issue amicably, says Tharoor

Former union minister and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday described the death sentence given to former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan 'unacceptable' and suggested that both India and Pakistan should resolve the issue amicably.

Shashi Tharoor told ANI,"Certainly, I am hoping it is mainly sign of pressure that they want to put. Eventually, the two governments should talk and come to an amicable conclusion,"

"An honest truth is that as far as India is concerned if the Pakistanis carry through such an action, then absolutely it is a very grave matter that should go for the highest escalation on our part," he added.

 

This afternoon, the Pakistan Military sentenced Jadhav to death, the 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 in the statement.

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 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.

"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," an official statement read.

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.