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1st LD Writethru: Pakistan sentences death penalty to Indian spy agent

Xinhua, April 10, 2017 Adjust font size:

Pakistan army said Monday that a military court has awarded death sentence to an "Indian agent of intelligence agency RAW" who was arrested for spying in 2016 in Balochistan Province.

The Naval officer Commander Kulbushan Sudhir Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel was arrested on March 3, 2016 through a counter intelligence operation from Mashkel, Balochistan, for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan, a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations said.

"The spy has been tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded death sentence," the statement added. Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has confirmed the death sentence.

The FGCM found Kulbushan Sudhir Jadhav guilty of all the charges.

The Indian agent confessed that he was tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organize espionage and sabotage activities aiming to destabilize and wage war against Pakistan by impeding the efforts of law enforcement agencies for restoring peace in Balochistan and Karachi, the army said.

The accused was provided with defending officer as per legal provisions, the statement said.

Later the day, Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif defended the death penalty to Jadhav, saying that "the death sentence should serve as a warning to those engaged in terrorism in Pakistan."

The defense minister told Geo television in an interview that "those plotting against Pakistan will not be spared."

He said all legal requirements were fulfilled during the trial, adding that all constitutional force would be used against those acting against the sovereignty of Pakistan.

He also said that the Indian national had confessed his activities in Pakistan.

Reports suggested that India has summoned Pakistan's High Commissioner to New Delhi Abdul Basit and handed over a demarche which says "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."

However, Pakistan rejected the Indian assertions. Endit