Pak Senator questions Kulbhushan verdict, demands evidence

A Senator in Pakistan has raised questions over the death sentence given to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav by a Pakistani military court last week. The Senator, Sherry Rehman, is unhappy that the Pakistan government, despite having Jadhav in custody for one year, is yet to provide the Senate with any evidence of his involvement in “subversive activities” that he has been accused of carrying out in Pakistan.

In a Senate debate that took place on 12 April, Wednesday, just two days after the death sentence was announced on 10 April, senior Senator Sherry Rehman, who has also served as Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States between 2011-2013, questioned the death penalty given to Jadhav. “India will not accept the confession (the video clip that Pakistan army showed, in which he was seen to be confessing to be a member of R&AW). Then why don’t you reveal other evidences to make your case stronger like his telephone records? How did the officials come to know that he was a spy? What is the evidence that he was working undercover under a fake identity and the details of the activity that he did as a spy?” Rehman asked.

Rehman, further questioning the policy adopted by the Pakistan government regarding Jadhav, said that the lawmakers were not taken into confidence. “He was arrested in March last year and for one year he has been in custody and we have not been given any information about him,” she stated.

She further criticised the Pakistan Foreign Minister for not sharing any information with the Senate members. “The Foreign Minister is active on social media, where he discusses the foreign policy of Pakistan, while the diplomatic work is being handled by the bureaucrats who have no power to take risky decisions. We had asked for a National Security Committee to discuss such issues of national security, however, only a resolution has been passed and no concrete work has been done on the ground”, she added.

She was basically implying that the Pakistan army has been taking decisions related to the country’s foreign affairs.

India, ever since Pakistan made the arrest of Jadhav public, has sought consular access to him for 14 times, but the same was denied by Pakistan every time.

Pakistan has stated that due process of law was followed in the trial of the 46-year-old Jadhav and his sentence is based on credible, specific evidence proving his involvement in espionage and terrorist activities in Pakistan. However, Pakistan has failed to make public any evidence of his supposed terrorist activities and espionage.

With inputs from Areeba Falak.