Reacting strongly on Kulbhushan Jadhav’s death sentence awarded by Pakistan, India has summoned the Pakistan High Commissioner Mr. Abdul Basit. India’s Foreign Secretary has handed over the demarche about Jadhav on April 10.
Summoning the Pakistan High Commission, Foreign Secretary said, “If this sentence against Kulbhushan Jadhav is carried out, the Government and people of India will take it as a case of premeditated murder.”
India said, “the death sentence is awarded without observing basic norms of law and justice.”
Demarche issued by MEA to Pakistan High Commissioner today. Pl see press release at https://t.co/K55zof27it pic.twitter.com/PLZCv5B3gD
— Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) April 10, 2017
“Shri Jadhav was kidnapped last year from Iran and his subsequent presence in Pakistan has never been explained credibly. The Government of India, through its High Commission in Islamabad, has repeatedly sought consular access to him, as provided for by international law. Requests to that effect were formally made 13 times between 25 March 2016 and 31 March 2017. This was not permitted by the Pakistani authorities,” India said to Pak High Commission.
Condemning the death sentence, India said, “the proceedings that have led to the sentence against Shri Jadhav are farcical in the absence of any credible evidence against him. It is significant that our High Commission was not even informed that Shri Jadhav was being brought to trial.”
“Senior Pakistani figures have themselves cast doubt about the adequacy of evidence. The claim in the ISPR release that Shri Jadhav was provided with a defending officer during the so-called trial is clearly absurd in the circumstances.”
Summoning the Pakistan High Commission, Foreign Secretary said, “If this sentence against Kulbhushan Jadhav is carried out, the Government and people of India will take it as a case of premeditated murder.”
