Pakistan: Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav accused of espionage gets death penalty

Former Indian Naval Officer Kulbhushan Jadhav who was arrested in Pakistan on spying charges has been sentenced to death, the head of the Pakistan Military’s Public Relations Department announced on Monday afternoon.

Jadhav, a 1991 commissioned Naval officer, was arrested in March 2016 by Pakistan authorities on the charges that he was dealing with Balochistan freedom fighters. The allegation was that the officer, who retired in 2013, was an active RAW agent, a charge denied by India. 

"The spy has been tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under Pakistan Army Act and awarded death sentence," the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

The COAS, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has confirmed his death sentence awarded by FGCM, the statement added.

Pakistan also claimed that Jadhav confessed before a Magistrate and the Court that he was tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organise espionage / 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.

It also claimed that Jadhav was provided with a defending officer as per legal provisions. 

Indian R&AW agent #Kalbushan awarded death sentence through FGCM by Pakistan Army for espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/ltRPbfO30V

— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) April 10, 2017

Earlier, Pakistan Army had also released a "confessional video" of Jadhav, who said he was a serving Indian Navy officer.

India has acknowledged Jadhav as a retired Indian Navy officer, but denied the allegation that he was in any way connected to the government.