Congress leader Shashi Tharoor came down strongly on Pakistan, calling it a rogue state while addressing the Kulbhushan Jadhav hanging.
The Pakistan army last week had accused Jadhav, a formal naval officer of espionage, and announced that he would be hanged.
Reacting to the country’s statement, Tharoor in an interview with WION said Pakistan’s move was a farcical affair. “When you abduct a citizen, and hold him for a year without reason, it’s unacceptable. Then you deny him a defence lawyer, accuse him of espionage, and finally decide to hang him, it is disregard to the existing processes,” he said.
The Congress leader added that Pakistan’s move was not just an assault on India, but was an assault on conventions of international law and diplomacy. “Even countries that are at war follow the Geneva convention. Pakistan currently has diplomatic relations with India and the two countries even trade. Despite this, Pakistan has gone against all rules of the convention and has behaved like an outlaw state,” said Tharoor.
Even during the Cold War between the United States and the then Soviet Union, people would get captured and interrogated, said Tharoor, adding that nobody was treated in the manner Pakistan treated Jadhav.
Criticising the Pakistan government, Tharoor added that the people of Pakistan weren’t sure who was in control of the state. “Nawaz Sharif accomplishes nothing while dealing with the military. They (the military) have a law onto itself. They have been financing terrorist attacks on India since the late 1980s and the most prominent one – the November 26 attack – is proof,” he said.
Tharoor said the Indian government had two options to deal with Pakistan. “First, they need to convey a message that if Jadhav is executed, all diplomatic ties will be broken. Second, we need to go international and let those nations that fund Pakistan know that they are dealing with a rogue state,” he said.
The Congress leader cautioned of going into war, saying that India’s interests lie in a peaceful neighbourhood as we’re trying to attract foreign investment. “The government knows this better than anyone else,” he said.
Watch the full interview here, where he also addressed the China factor in blocking the ban of Masood Azhar in the United Nations, the mastermind of the 26/11 attack, and the repealing of Section 377.
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