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Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav (also spelled Kulbhushan Yadav, alleged alias Hussain Mubarak Patel) (born 16 April 1970) is an Indian national. It is alleged by the Pakistani government that he was arrested in the
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
i province of
Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
on charges of
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
and spying for India's intelligence agency, the
Research and Analysis Wing The Research and Analysis Wing (abbreviated R&AW; hi, ) is the foreign intelligence agency of India. The agency's primary function is gathering foreign intelligence, counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, advising Indian policymakers, ...
. On 10 April 2017, Indian foreign ministry alleged he had been "kidnapped last year from Iran and his subsequent presence in Pakistan has never been explained credibly". The
Pakistani government The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the four provinces, two autonomous territories, ...
stated that he was a
commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
in the
Indian Navy The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates si ...
who was involved in subversive activities inside Pakistan and was arrested on 3 March 2016 during a counter-intelligence operation in Balochistan. The
Indian government The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
recognised Jadhav as a former naval officer but denied any current links with him and maintained that he took premature retirement.Revealed: 'Spy' Kulbhushan Yadav not caught but abducted by extremist Sunni group Jaishul Adil
, ''India Today'', 30 March 2016.
On 10 April 2017, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General
Court Martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
in Pakistan. On 18 May 2017, the
International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordan ...
stayed the execution pending the final judgement on the case. On 17 July 2019, the court rejected India's appeal for Jadhav's release and ordered Pakistan to suspend the execution. It ruled that Pakistan will have to review the entire process of trial and conviction of Kulbhushan Jadhav and provide India with consular access. Pakistan granted consular access to India, once. However subsequent requests were blocked.


Background

Jadhav was born to a Marathi family in
Sangli Sangli () is a city and the district headquarters of Sangli District in the state of Maharashtra, in western India. It is known as the Turmeric City of Maharashtra due to its production and trade of the spice. Sangli is situated on the banks ...
, Maharashtra, on 16 April 1970 to Sudhir and Avanti Jadhav. His father is a retired
Mumbai Police The Mumbai Police ( Marathi: मुंबई पोलीस, IAST: ''Mumbaī Pulīs'', formerly ''Bombay Police'') is the police department of the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a part of Maharashtra Police and has the primary responsibilit ...
officer. Jadhav is married and has two children. His family resides in
Powai Powai (Pronunciation: əʋəiː is an upscale residential neighbourhood located in central Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is situated on the banks of Powai Lake, and is bound by the hills of Vikhroli Parksite to the south-east, Chandivali ...
, Mumbai. According to reports in the Pakistani media, Jadhav joined the Indian
National Defence Academy The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defence service training institute of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets of the three services i.e. the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force train together before they go on ...
in 1987 and was commissioned in the engineering branch of the Indian Navy in 1991. Pakistani media has also reported that he began to gather information and intelligence within India after the 2001 attack on the
Parliament of India The Parliament of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the president of India and two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of ...
. After 14 years of service, he was inducted into intelligence operations in 2003 and established a small business in
Chabahar Chābahār ( fa, چابهار, bal, چھبار, čahbàr; ; formerly ''Bandar Beheshtī'') is the capital city of Chabahar County, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. It is a free port (free-trade zone) situated on the coast of the Gulf of ...
in Iran from where he made several undetected visits to Karachi and Balochistan.


Arrest

According to the Pakistani government, on 3 March 2016, Jadhav was arrested inside Balochistan in Mashkel near the border region of
Chaman Chaman ( Balochi, Pashto and ur, ) is a city and recently claimed as a new district of Balochistan named Chaman District as it was earlier a part of district Qila Abdullah District located on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. It is the capital o ...
. He was arrested during a counterintelligence raid conducted by security forces. India denied the claim and said he was abducted from Iran. Pakistani security forces reported Jadhav as a serving officer in the Indian Navy and stated that he was commissioned to the
Research and Analysis Wing The Research and Analysis Wing (abbreviated R&AW; hi, ) is the foreign intelligence agency of India. The agency's primary function is gathering foreign intelligence, counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, advising Indian policymakers, ...
(RAW), India's external intelligence agency. They believed him to be involved in subversive activities in Balochistan and
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
. Jadhav was soon shifted to
Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital ...
for interrogation. While according to Indian sources, Jadhav was kidnapped by a Mullah Omar Irani of
Jaish ul-Adl Jaish ul-Adl, or Jaish al-Adl ( ar, جيش‌ العدل, lit=Army of Justice; bal, جئیش الئدل), is a Salafi Islamist militant organization that operates mainly in southeastern Iran, where there is a substantial concentration of Sunni B ...
from
Sarbaz Sarbaz ( fa, سرباز, also Romanized as Sarbāz; also known as Qal‘eh-ye Sarbāz – "Fort Sarbaz") is a city in and the capital of Sarbaz District, in Sarbaz County, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran Iran, officially ...
City,
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
who later handed over Jadhav to the
Pakistani Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...
.


Activities

Pakistan stated that Jadhav entered Chabahar with a visa stamped on a
fake passport A fake passport is a counterfeit of a passport (or other travel document) issued by a nation or authorised agency. Such counterfeits are copies of genuine passports, or illicitly modified genuine passports made by unauthorized persons, sometime ...
numbered ''L9630722'' in 2003 where he got a new identity of Hussain Mubarak Patel – born on 30 August 1968, from Maharashtra, India.  Pakistani officials claimed that his job was to destabilise Pakistan by strengthening a separatist movement in Balochistan and Karachi – a mission which officially began in 2013. Balochistan Home Minister
Sarfraz Bugti Mir Sarfraz Bugti (Urdu, bal, ) (born June 1, 1981) is a Pakistani politician. He is the son of Mir Ghulam Qadir Masori Bugti. The latter is the pioneer of the middle-class movement against the tribal Sardars of Dera Bugti. Sarfraz Bugti is a ...
said that Jadhav was obviously working for RAW and was in contact with Baloch separatists and militants, fueling sectarian violence in the province and the country. He further added that he was involved in financially supporting militants and that Jadhav has admitted his involvements in Karachi's unrest. Interrogation also reportedly revealed that naval combat training was being conferred to Baloch separatists, in an attempt to target the ports of
Gwadar Gwadar ( Balochi/ ur, ) is a port city with located on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, Pakistan. The city is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea opposite Oman. Gwadar is the 100th largest city of Pakistan, according to the 2017 ...
and
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
. Pakistani authorities stated that Jadhav, during his interrogation, gave details about his
funding Funding is the act of providing resources to finance a need, program, or project. While this is usually in the form of money, it can also take the form of effort or time from an organization or company. Generally, this word is used when a firm use ...
, and plans to destabilise the country. They added that Jadhav also disclosed the presence of other Indian intelligence operatives in the southern metropolis. During interrogation Jadhav also reportedly revealed that at
Wadh Wadh ( ur, ) is a City in the Khuzdar District of Balochistan, Pakistan. The population of the City was 480,950 according to the 2017 census. Most of the inhabitants of the sub-district belong to the Mengal tribe . The land of Wadh is agricultur ...
, he was in contact with Haji Baloch, who provided financial and logistic support to Baloch separatists and the IS network in Karachi. He also said that the masterminds of the Safoora bus attack, where gunmen shot dead 45 Ismaili passengers, were also in contact with Haji Baloch. Jadhav added that he had met Baloch several times, sometimes for planning sectarian violence in Karachi and the rest of Sindh. Pakistan said that, based on Jadhav's information, it had arrested hundreds of undercover operatives.
Asim Bajwa Asim Saleem Bajwa (Urdu, Punjabi: ) is a retired Pakistani three-star general who served as the chairman of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority from November 2019 to August 2021 and the special assistant to then Prime Minister Imran ...
told the press that Jadhav converted to Islam, adopted a false identity and worked at
Gadani Gadani ( ur, ) is a coastal town of Hub District located in the southern part of Balochistan along the Arabian Sea, Pakistan. and is just a 1-hour drive away from Karachi. The population of Gadani was estimated to be around 10,000 in 2005. Mo ...
under the cover of a scrap dealer. He stated that Jadhav established a network of operatives, provided funds, arranged to smuggle people into the country for the purpose of terrorism and reportedly purchased boats at the Iranian port in Chabahar to target Karachi and Gwadar ports in an alleged terrorist plot. According to him, Jadhav's goal was to sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor through propaganda – with Gwadar port as a special target – and also to create disharmony among the Baloch nationalist political parties. He also said that Jadhav told the interrogators to use a code phrase – "your monkey is with us" – to inform his handlers and the Indian authorities about his arrest. Asim also claimed to have confiscated maps from him and enunciated that there could be no clearer evidence of foreign interference in Pakistan. He termed the arrest of an intelligence or an armed forces officer of his rank a big achievement.


Indian government reaction

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs claimed that Jadhav was an Indian Navy officer but had retired prematurely and he had no current link with the government since his retirement. The Indian High Commission also sought consular access to Jadhav but Pakistan did not agree to it. Pakistan's diplomat to India said that consular access wasn't automatic during cases related to security, explaining Jadhav had been travelling "under a fake name with an original Indian passport" since 2003. The family of Kulbhushan Jadhav and those who knew him stated that they never knew that Jadhav had left
Indian Navy The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates si ...
and had started his own business.


Media coverage

According to Indian sources, Jadhav was abducted by Pakistan's forces from the
Iran–Pakistan border The Iran–Pakistan border (; ) is the international boundary that separates Iran and Pakistan. It demarcates the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan from the Pakistani province of Balochistan, and is in length. Description The borde ...
and Pakistan fabricated his documents and leaked them without realising there were glaring inconsistencies in the same. According to sections of Indian media, the
Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a dis ...
group
Jaish ul-Adl Jaish ul-Adl, or Jaish al-Adl ( ar, جيش‌ العدل, lit=Army of Justice; bal, جئیش الئدل), is a Salafi Islamist militant organization that operates mainly in southeastern Iran, where there is a substantial concentration of Sunni B ...
is responsible for the kidnapping of Jadhav from the Iran–Pakistan border. According to Indian officials, Jadhav owned a cargo business in Iran and had been working out of
Bandar Abbas Bandar Abbas or Bandar-e ‘Abbās ( fa, , , ), is a port city and capital of Hormozgān Province on the southern coast of Iran, on the Persian Gulf. The city occupies a strategic position on the narrow Strait of Hormuz (just across from Musand ...
and Chabahar ports. "It appears that he strayed into Pakistani waters. But there is also a possibility that he was lured into Pakistan sometime back and fake documents were created for him by the
ISI ISI or Isi may refer to: Organizations * Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a classical conservative organization focusing on college students * Ice Skating Institute, a trade association for ice rinks * Indian Standards Institute, former name of ...
." Some Indian intelligence officials also alleged that Jadhav was abducted from the Iran–Pakistan border by an extremist radical group called Jaishul Adil. Jaishul Adil, designated a terrorist organisation by Iran, is linked to
Al Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
and has been often accused of targeting Iranian border guards. They also pointed to the inconsistencies between the claims made by Balochistan minister Sarfaraz Bugti that Jadhav was picked up from Chaman on the Afghan border, and those made by General Bajwa that he was picked from Saravan. Indian author and journalist
Hussain Zaidi S. Hussain Zaidi (born 28 February 1968) is an Indian author and former investigative journalist. His works include '' Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia'', ''Mafia Queens of Mumbai'', '' Black Friday'', ''My Name is Abu Salem'' a ...
claimed that Jadhav was a spy and may have been arrested by Pakistan's Intelligence Bureau because of complacency setting in, after a stay period of 14 years. It is alleged that his phone was on surveillance and his habit of talking in Marathi while conversing with his family blew his cover, as it did not commensurate with his fake identity. According to the Pakistani newspaper The News, German diplomat Gunter Mulack While speaking at the
Pakistan Institute of International Affairs The Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) () is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Karachi whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs. History PIIA ...
, claimed that Jadhav was caught by the
Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
and sold to Pakistani intelligence. Pakistani newspaper '' The News'' also noted that no Taliban groups operate in Iran, and stated that Mulack's statement reflected a "poor understanding of the issues and the dynamics of regional politics." After Jadhav's sentencing, Mulack told the ''
Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest se ...
'' that his information was based on "unconfirmed speculation from reliable sources which I cannot identify, nor confirm. Maybe it is not true." In April 2016, Islamabad briefed diplomats of various countries regarding Jadhav's arrest and his claimed involvement in terrorist activities. The evidence was also shared with the United States and the United Kingdom. Separately, Pakistan's Interior Minister
Nisar Ali Khan Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan ( ur, ; born 31 July 1954) is a Pakistani politician who served as the Interior Minister from 2013 to 2017. He is currently an independent member-of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab - elected to represent PP-10 (Rawa ...
held a meeting with the Iranian ambassador. In September, Pakistan prepared a dossier outlining evidence of Indian-sponsored terrorism and provided it to the United Nations Secretary-General. It included Jadhav's details. According to the Indian newspaper and news channel NDTV, in December 2016,
Sartaj Aziz Sartaj Aziz ( ur, ; born 7 February 1929) is a Pakistani economist and a strategist, having previously served as the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan, member of the federal cabinet as the ''de facto'' Minister for For ...
, who functioned as the then Pakistan's Foreign Minister, told members of the country's senate that there was insufficient evidence presented of Jadhav's alleged espionage. "What the dossier contained on Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadav were mere statements. It did not have any conclusive evidence." and that they were waiting for more details. In January 2019,
Vikram Sood Vikram Sood is the former head of India's foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), and an advisor to the Observer Research Foundation, an independent public policy think tank in New Delhi. Sood was an officer of the Indi ...
who headed R&AW from 2000-2003 claimed that Pakistan had no leverage over India on Jadhav. He claimed, "No spy worth his salt will be caught with his passport. The charges against him are laughable."


Confession video

During the joint conference held by the army and the government, a video confession by Jadhav was made public. Jadhav in the video alleged to have said that the Indian intelligence agency RAW was involved in destabilising Pakistan. He also said that he was a serving officer of the Indian Navy and was working in Pakistan at the behest of the RAW. Referring to the video, Bajwa said, "There can be no clearer evidence of Indian interference in Pakistan," and added that Jadhav's activities were nothing short of
state-sponsored terrorism State-sponsored terrorism is terrorist violence carried out with the active support of national governments provided to violent non-state actors. States can sponsor terrorist groups in several ways, including but not limited to funding terroris ...
. In the video, Jadhav acknowledged that he launched a covert operation against Pakistan from the Iranian port of
Chabahar Chābahār ( fa, چابهار, bal, چھبار, čahbàr; ; formerly ''Bandar Beheshtī'') is the capital city of Chabahar County, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. It is a free port (free-trade zone) situated on the coast of the Gulf of ...
for which he used to get instructions from Research and Analysis Wing's joint secretary Anil Gupta. He also said that the RAW had been funding the
Baloch separatist __NOTOC__ Baloch nationalism ( Baloch: راج دۏستی بلۏچی) asserts that the Baloch people, an ethnic group native to Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan are a distinct nation, and that their ethnicity overrides religious loyalty. The origins o ...
s for the
Balochistan insurgency The Insurgency in Balochistan is an insurgency or revolt by Baloch nationalists against the governments of Pakistan and Iran in the Balochistan region, which covers the Balochistan Province in southwestern Pakistan, Sistan and Baluchestan Prov ...
. Jadhav said: In the video, Jadhav also revealed that he had been directing various activities in Karachi and Balochistan on instructions from RAW since 2013 and had a role in the deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi. While giving details of these activities, Jadhav said: India has rejected the video confession. Union Minister
Kiren Rijiju Kiren Rijiju (born 19 November 1971) is an Indian politician from Arunachal Pradesh who serves as the Cabinet Minister of Law and Justice in the Government of India. Early life Rijiju was born on 19 November 1971 at Nakhu near Nafra in West K ...
claimed, "It is a completely doctored video, fake video made by Pakistan. They are just cooking up stories and doctoring videos to defame India." Indian agencies have claimed that the video released by Pakistan was heavily edited and the audio has been spliced in several places.


Role of Iran

On 3 April, it was reported that Iran was investigating whether Jadhav crossed the Pakistan-Iran border illegally after the matter was taken up by Pakistani officials in
Hassan Rouhani Hassan Rouhani ( fa, حسن روحانی, Standard Persian pronunciation: ; born Hassan Fereydoun ( fa, حسن فریدون, links=no); 12 November 1948) is an Iranian politician who served as the seventh president of Iran from 2013 to 2021. ...
's visit to Islamabad. However, Rouhani denied the report as a rumor, saying that the matter was not even mentioned. Iranian Ambassador to India said that Iran was probing into the matter. He said that once Iran completes the investigation, it will share the reports with "friendly countries". The Iranian embassy in Pakistan criticised "certain elements in Pakistan" for spreading "undignified and offensive" remarks that were attributed to Rouhani and added that these rumours "will not impact the positive views of the two countries regarding each other" as Pakistan had proven to be Iran's "trusted partner and neighbour".


Sentence

On 10 April 2017, Jadhav was
sentenced to death Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
by a Field General
Court Martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
(FGCM) in Pakistan, following a confession before the magistrate and court. Jadhav's trial lasted three and a half months and the charges he was convicted for included spying for India, waging war against Pakistan, sponsoring terrorism, and destabilising the state. He was tried in a military court due to his naval background and the sensitive nature of his case, involving espionage and sabotage. The sentence was confirmed by army chief
Qamar Javed Bajwa General Qamar Javed Bajwa ( ur, ; born 11 November 1960) is a retired Pakistani army general who served as the tenth Chief of the Army Staff of Pakistan from 29 November 2016 to 29 November 2022. In 2018 he was ranked 68th in the ''Forbe ...
, and released via the ISPR. Pakistan's Defence Minister
Khawaja Muhammad Asif Khawaja Muhammad Asif (; born 9 August 1949) is a Pakistani politician currently serving as the Defence Minister of Pakistan since April 2022, He has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, since August 2018. Previously, he was a m ...
stated that under the provisions of the Pakistan Army Act of 1952, Jadhav had the right to appeal against his conviction on three appellate forums within 40 days. India accused Pakistan of denying consular access to Jadhav despite several requests. Pakistan, it was said, had also not informed India about Jadhav's trial. As of 2 July 2017, the number of denied consular access stood at 18. Following the sentencing, the government of India summoned Pakistani High Commissioner to India,
Abdul Basit ʻAbd al-Bāsiṭ (ALA-LC romanization of ar, عبد الباسط) is a male Muslim given name. It is built from the Arabic words '' ʻabd'' and ''al-Bāsiṭ'', one of the names of God in the Qur'an, which give rise to the Muslim theophoric name ...
and issued a demarche stating that the proceedings that led to Jadhav's sentencing were farcical and that India would regard Jadhav's execution as murder in the first degree. Basit replied to the Indian foreign secretary that "on the one hand you perpetrate terrorism in Pakistan, and record a protest against us on the other. We have not done anything wrong. A terrorist must be punished." In an interview to ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new on ...
'', Basit said Pakistan held sufficient evidence against Jadhav and that it was shared with the Indian government. He also said that Jadhav was given a fair trial, including the right to seek clemency. This was in contrast to his stand before the senate in December 2016. In a statement issued in the
Parliament of India The Parliament of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the president of India and two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of ...
on 11 April 2017,
Rajnath Singh Rajnath Singh (; born 10 July 1951) is an Indian politician serving as the Defence Minister of India. He is currently the Deputy Leader of the House Lok Sabha. He is the former President of Bharatiya Janata Party. He has previously served as ...
, India's Minister of Home Affairs, reiterated that Jadhav was kidnapped by Pakistani agencies from Iran and put through trial as a RAW agent.
Sushma Swaraj Sushma Swaraj () (''née'' Sharma; 14 February 1952 – 6 August 2019) was an Indian lawyer, politician, and diplomat who served as the Minister of External Affairs of India in the first Narendra Modi government from 2014 to 2019. She is only ...
, India's Minister of External Affairs said there was no evidence of any wrongdoing by Jadhav and termed his sentencing an act of "premeditated murder". Swaraj said that if Pakistan implemented the death sentence, the bilateral relations between both countries would face dire consequences. During a briefing to the
Senate of Pakistan Senate of Pakistan or Aiwān-e-Bālā Pākistān ( ur, , , literally "Pakistan upper house"), is the upper legislative chamber of the bicameral legislature of Pakistan, and together with the National Assembly makes up the Parliament of Pakist ...
, Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif stated that Jadhav's prosecution followed due legal process based on the country's laws, rules, and regulations and "there was nothing in the legal proceedings that were against the law." He said that Jadhav had been provided a defending officer throughout the course of his trial. He rejected India's accusations of terming the trial a "premeditated murder". Asif added that Pakistan would allow no concessions to elements who threatened its security and stability, from inside the country or across the border.


International Court of Justice

In May 2017, India approached the
International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordan ...
(ICJ), asserting that Pakistani authorities were denying India its right of consular access to Jadhav in violation of the Vienna Convention. The ICJ proceedings began in
The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...
on 15 May to review the case. India and Pakistan both sent their legal teams to put forward their arguments, led by
Harish Salve Harish Salve ( Marathi : हरीश साळवे) KC is an Indian senior advocate who practices at the Supreme Court of India. He served as the Solicitor General of India from 1 November 1999 to 3 November 2002. He also fought the case o ...
and Khawar Qureshi respectively. On 18 May 2017, the International Court of Justice stayed the hanging of Jadhav. On 22 June 2017, Pakistani sources confirmed that Jadhav had sought clemency from the country's army chief following his conviction. Pakistan also released a new confessional video of Jadhav, in which he stated that he visited Karachi twice for gathering intelligence on naval facilities. He also admitted to supporting and funding, on behalf of India's RAW, Baloch militants affiliated with the BLA and BRA, in addition to infiltrating and establishing "30 to 40 RAW operatives along the Makran Coast" for involvement in terrorist activities. Jadhav said that RAW's activities in Balochistan and Sindh were conducted under the direction of Anil Kumar Dhasmana. India's Foreign Ministry again dismissed the confession as "false propaganda", stating that Pakistan was trying to influence ICJ proceedings while denying the consular rights to Jadhav. ICJ did not allow Pakistan to play the video during the hearing. On 25 December, Jadhav's mother and wife met Jadhav in Islamabad after being allowed permission by Pakistani authorities. India subsequently denounced Pakistan for its handling of the visit of the wife and mother of Jadhav, saying they were harassed and prevented from talking to Jadhav freely. India moved to the
International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordan ...
(ICJ), which after deliberation stayed the execution of the sentence passed by the Pakistani military court, the ICJ also found a violation of
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 is an international treaty that defines a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries. Its aim is to facilitate "the development of friendly relations" among government ...
by Pakistan and directed Pakistan to provide consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav in its July 2019 verdict.


See also

*
India–Pakistan relations India–Pakistan relations are the bilateral ties between the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The two countries have a complex and largely hostile relationship that is rooted in a multitude of historical and political e ...
*
Ravindra Kaushik Ravindra Kaushik (11 April 1952 – November 2001) was a Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) operative, also named as Black Tiger, who is believed to be one of India's best spies. Kaushik served the R&AW from 1979 to 1983 in Pakistan. He was a ...
, a RAW agent arrested in Pakistan *
Sarabjit Singh Sarabjit Singh Attwal (also spelled Sarabjeet Singh; 1963 or 1964 – 2 May 2013) (alleged to be Manjit Singh Rattu by Pakistan) was an Indian national convicted of terrorism and spying by a Pakistani court. He was tried and convicted ...
, an Indian arrested on terrorism and espionage charges in Pakistan * Kashmir Singh, an Indian spy arrested in Pakistan *
Indians in Pakistan , native_name_lang = , image = , caption = , pop = 2,016,501 , popplace = Predominantly Punjab and Sindh , langs = Hindi–Urdu, Punjabi, others , rels = , related_groups ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jadhav, Kulbhushan 1970 births Living people India–Pakistan relations Indian expatriates in Iran Indian expatriates in Pakistan Indian military engineers Indian Navy officers Indian people imprisoned abroad Indian people imprisoned on charges of terrorism Indian prisoners sentenced to death Indian spies International Court of Justice cases Inter-Services Intelligence operations Marathi people Military personnel from Mumbai People convicted of espionage in Pakistan People convicted on terrorism charges People from Sangli People of the insurgency in Balochistan People who were court-martialed Prisoners sentenced to death by Pakistan Terrorism in Pakistan