India warns Pakistan over Jadhav verdict

Sushma Swaraj condemns farcical trialIndia yesterday warned Pakistan of “consequences” for bilateral relations if it executed an alleged Indian spy, as tensions over the issue escalated between the neighbours.A Pakistani military court on Monday handed the death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav, a retired Indian naval officer, convicting him of spying and fomenting unrest in the province of Balochistan.Following uproar in the parliament, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj condemned the “farcical” trial, saying there was no evidence against Jadhav.“I would caution the Pakistan government to consider the consequences for our bilateral relationship if they proceed on this matter,” she said.Home Minister Rajnath Singh claimed Jadhav, who was engaged in a business in Iran, was abducted by Pakistani security agencies in March 2016 and branded a spy.Calling Jadhav a “son of India,” Swaraj said the Indian government “will go out of the way to save him.” She said New Delhi would take up the issue with Pakistan at the highest levels.“There is no evidence of any wrongdoing by Jadhav. This is an act of premeditated murder,” Swaraj said, adding that Islamabad had repeatedly blocked consular access to him.Singh accused Pakistan of ignoring “basic norms of law and justice” in sentencing Jadhav.“Pakistan has said a valid Indian passport has been found from Jadhav. If he was having a valid passport, how can he be a spy?”Opposition Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad urged the government to appoint a “strong lawyer” who can fight Jadhav’s case in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.Pakistan justified the death sentence and said it was capable of defending itself against external aggression.“We cannot remain oblivious to defending our sovereignty and protecting our independence,” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said.Pakistan was “fully equipped” to deal with all such “elements with an iron fist”, its Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the Senate in an obvious reference to Indian warnings.“We will defend our country at all costs,” he said and insisted that Jadhav’s trial followed due legal process.Congress MP Shashi Tharoor slammed Pakistan.“What Pakistan is doing is not only an assault on India, it is an assault on international laws, international conventions that affect everybody.“There are certain countries that finance and arm the Pakistani military. Those countries must be told by us that if this can be done to an Indian today, it can be done to one of their nationals tomorrow,” Tharoor said.Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party MP Subramanian Swamy said India must recognise Balochistan as an independent country if Pakistan went ahead with Jadhav’s execution.Meanwhile, the government has also stalled the release of 12 Pakistani prisoners who were due to be repatriated today, NDTV network reported citing official sources.The sentencing has aggravated tensions that were triggered by an attack by militants that killed 19 soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir in September.Anti-Pakistan protests were also reported from several cities, including outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.Maharashtra Navnirman Sena supporters took out a procession in Mumbai to condemn Islamabad and demand Jadhav’s immediate release.Carrying placards and banners with anti-Pakistani slogans, MNS leaders and workers said Jadhav was innocent.The Indian film industry also slammed Pakistan.