NEW DELHI: Pakistan has rejected Indian objections to RAW agent Kulbushan Yadav’s death sentence, saying the country’s national security is Islamabad’s utmost priority.
“You can’t sponsor terrorism and then summon an ambassador to protest over the sentence of terrorists. Nothing matters more than national security,” Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit told Indian media after meeting officials of India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Monday.
Basit said that Pakistan has done nothing wrong in giving death sentence to a terrorist.
“Our desire for peace in the region must not be taken as our weakness,” he said.
Earlier on Monday, India lodged a formal protest with Pakistan over Kulbhushan Yadav`s death sentence and announced that in case the punishment is carried out it will ‘regard it as premeditated murder’.
According to a statement from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Foreign Secretary summoned Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit to handover a demarche on the issue.
The Indian demarche claimed that Yadav “was kidnapped last year from Iran and his subsequent presence in Pakistan has never been explained credibly,“ adding, “the Government of India, through its High Commission in Islamabad, has repeatedly sought consular access to him, as provided for by international law. This was not permitted by the Pakistani authorities.”
Pakistan sentenced the Indian RAW agent Kulbhushan Yadav to death for carrying out espionage and sabotage activities in Balochistan and Karachi, the ISPR said.
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has confirmed death sentence awarded by the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA).
According to an ISPR press release, Kulbhusan Sundir Yadav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel was arrested on March 3, 2016, through a Counter-Intelligence Operation from Mashkel area of Balochistan for his involvement in espionage and sabotage actives in Pakistan.
Yadav was believed to be an on-duty officer for the Indian Navy and confessed his crimes in a recorded video statement televised by the ISPR last year following his arrest.
“The spy has been tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded death sentence. Today COAS, General Qamar Javed Bajwa has confirmed death sentence awarded by FGCM.
“RAW agent Commander Kulbushan Sundir Jadhav was tired under FGCM under section 59 of Pakistan Army Act (PAA) 1952 and Section 3 of official Secret Act of 1923.
“The FGCM found Yadhav guilty of all charges. He confessed before a Magistrate and the Court that he was tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organise espionage/sabotage activities aiming to destabilise and wage war against Pakistan by impeding the efforts of Law Enforcement Agencies for restoring peace in Balochistan and Karachi,” said the press release.
The accused was provided with a defending officer as per legal provisions, the ISPR added.
There has been no date announce yet for Yadav’s execution
