India has not responded to queries on Kulbhushan Jadhav, says Pakistan
Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said Islamabad had asked New Delhi for details of Jadhav’s service and passport.
India has not yet responded to Pakistan’s queries on former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on death row in a prison in Islamabad, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said. The official said Pakistan had asked New Delhi for details of Jadhav’s service and passport.
In January, the International Court of Justice had given India till April 17 to file its plea in the case, while the deadline for Islamabad to file its rejoinder is July 17.
“It is regrettable that India has so far not given us any reply on how commander Kulbhushan Jadhav was in possession of the passport of Hussain Mubarak Patel, or any details of his retirement from Indian Navy,” Faisal said, according to PTI.
Faisal also confirmed that a Pakistan delegation had visited India for talks regarding intelligence and counter-terrorism and said it was not a bilateral meeting between the two countries. It was held “under the ambit of Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure, counter-terrorism cooperation mechanism under Shanghai Cooperation Organisation”.
The case
Jadhav was arrested by Pakistani officials on March 3 last year. He was accused of spying for Indian intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, and aiding separatist elements in restive Balochistan. Pakistan had later released a video that showed Jadhav allegedly confessing to his crimes. India has questioned not only the authenticity of the video but has also accused Pakistan of torturing Jadhav into “confessing”.
While the Pakistan Army had claimed Jadhav had been arrested in Saravan at the Iran-Pakistan border, Baloch leader Sarfaraz Bugti said he was picked up from Chaman in Balochistan. India, meanwhile, alleged he was kidnapped by Pakistani forces while in Iran on a business engagement.
India had moved the International Court of Justice against the verdict in May, after which the court stayed his execution. A final verdict in the case is pending.