ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Indian naval officer Kulbushan Sudhir Jadhav, sentenced to death in Pakistan on charges of espionage, sabotage and terrorism, made a mercy petition to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Javed Qamar Bajwa, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said late on Thursday.
Jadhav was arrested on March 3, 2016 when he entered Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan from neighbouring Iran across the border. He was tried and given the death penalty by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) on April 10 this year.
The ISPR statement said that in his mercy plea Jadhav “has admitted his involvement in espionage, terrorist and subversive activities in Pakistan and expressed remorse at the resultant loss of many precious innocent lives and extensive damage to property due to his actions.”
“Seeking forgiveness for his actions he has requested the Chief of Army Staff to spare his life on compassionate grounds,” the statement said.
Jadhav had earlier moved an appeal to the Military Appellate Court which was rejected. Under the law he is eligible to appeal for clemency to the Chief of Army Staff which he has done and if rejected, subsequently to the President of Pakistan.
The ISPR said a second confessional video of Jadhav in which he can be seen accepting his acts of terrorism and espionage “is also released so that the world should know what India has done and continues to do against Pakistan.”
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit reportedly said in an interview to the Indian daily The Hindu published on Wednesday that Pakistan would not carry out the death sentence awarded to Jadhav until the hearing in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is over.
“We would like this process to be over quickly, but until [it does], we are committed,” The Hindu quoted the high commissioner as saying in the interview about India-Pakistan relations during his tenure which is due to end next month.
Indicating a softening of stance, Basit said that there is ‘room for rethink’ on the issue.
