Kulbhushan Jadhav sentencing: India likely to take up issue with US NSA HR McMaster
Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested on March 3, 2016 from Mashkel area of Balochistan for his alleged "involvement in espionage and sabotage actives" in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province and Karachi city.
Even though Pakistan has maintained that former Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav has been given a fair trail by a military court, India is likely to take up the issue of his death sentence with National Security Advisor (NSA) of USA.
Pakistan has sentenced Kulbhushan Jadhav to death for allegedly carrying out espionage and sabotage activities in Balochistan and Karachi. According to reports, NSA Ajit Doval is expected to raise the issue with his counterpart HR McMaster who is scheduled to visit India this weekend.
McMaster will visit Kabul and Islamabad before he lands in New Delhi for a day-long visit to discuss Afghanistan and renewal of India-US defence ties, reported Hindustan Times.
He will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar. ​
On Thursday, Minister of External Affairs has said that it has no information about Jadhav's location in Pakistan or his condition. It is also understood that India, which has been denied consular access to Jadhav 13 times, has again moved a request for access to him. Asserting that the whole country's sentiment is with Jadhav, EAM Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said the government will not spare any effort in securing justice for the "kidnapped innocent" Indian national but refused to divulge details.
The trial of Jadhav was "opaque and farcical", no due process was followed and all legal norms and international relations were defied, Baglay said. The issue has triggered fresh tension in Indo-Pak ties and India has warned Pakistan of the "consequences" Jadhav's hanging could have on their ties and vowed to go "out of the way" to save him amid pervasive outrage in the country.
(With inputs from PTI)