ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has turned down India’s request seeking consular access to detained Indian spy Kulbushan Jadhav, who was arrested by Pakistani forces earlier this year, it has been learnt.
“After due consideration, it has been decided not to grant consular access to Jadhav,” a top security source told
The source said the decision was taken due to the arrested Indian Navy officer’s involvement in “subversive activities” in Pakistan.
The security forces had arrested Jadhav from Balochistan in March and announced that he was ‘a serving officer in the Indian Navy and deputed to the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).’
The Indian External Affairs Ministry had accepted that the arrested man formerly worked for Indian Navy and said its high commission in Islamabad was seeking consular access to him.
“The said individual has no link with Government since his premature retirement from Indian Navy. We have sought consular access to him,” Indian ministry’s spokesman Vikas Swarup said.
The Pakistan army, however, maintains that Jadhav was directly handled by the RAW chief, the Indian National Security Adviser and the RAW joint secretary.
What we know so far about Kulbushan Jadhav:
- He is the contact man for Anil Kumar Gupta, the joint secretary of RAW, and his other operatives in Pakistan
- His was tasked to disrupt development of CPEC, with Gwadar port as a special target
- Jadhav is still a serving officer in the Indian Navy and will be due for retirement in 2022
- He started carrying out intelligence based operations in 2002 and in 2003 established a small business in Chabahar, Iran
- Jadhav directed various activities in Karachi and Balochistan at the behest of RAW
- He was involved in activities of ‘anti-national or terrorist nature’
The source added that Pakistan has collected documentary evidence against Jadhav which it will present before the UN.
The Foreign Office has already taken ambassadors of foreign countries into confidence on the matter, the source added.
On March 3 this year, security forces in Balochistan said they arrested a man who they said was a serving officer in the Indian Navy and deputed to the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
The Pakistan government also announced the recovery of travel documents and multiple fake identities from the arrested man, establishing him as an Indian spy who entered into Balochistan through Iran with a valid Iranian visa.
Confession video
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) aired before the media a video of the arrested Indian Navy officer in which he confessed to involvement in terror activities in Balochistan and Karachi.
In the video, Jadhav, who hails from Mumbai, said he had joined India’s National Defence Academy in 1987 before going on to join the Indian Navy in 1991.
“I am still a serving officer in the Indian Navy and will be due for retirement in 2022,” he said.
“By 2002, I commenced intelligence operations. In 2003, I established a small business in Chabahar in Iran. As I was able to achieve undetected existence and visits to Karachi in 2003 and 2004 and, having done some basic assignments within India for RAW, I was picked up by RAW in 2013 end,” Jadhav said.
Since then, he said he has been directing various activities in Karachi and Balochistan “at the behest of RAW”, adding that he had played a role in the deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi.
“I am basically the man for Mr Anil Kumar Gupta who is the joint secretary of RAW and his contacts in Pakistan,” he said, “especially in the Baloch student organisation”. His purpose was to meet Baloch insurgents and carry out “activities with their collaboration”, he explained.
“These activities have been of anti-national or terrorist nature,” he said, as they resulted in the “killing or maiming of Pakistani citizens”.
