SOURCE: AFI
In a recent interview with ABN News, Abdul Basit, former Pakistan Ambassador to India, has stirred controversy by advocating for the rejection of the mercy petition of Kulbhushan Jadhav, an alleged Indian spy currently in Pakistani custody. Jadhav, whose death sentence has been stayed pending further proceedings, remains a contentious figure in India-Pakistan relations.
Basit’s remarks come amid heightened tensions following India’s denial of any involvement in the recent Jaffar Express train incident, which some Pakistani narratives have sought to link with Indian interference. Additionally, Basit expressed regret over Pakistan’s decision to engage with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in response to India’s legal challenge regarding Jadhav’s case, arguing that it was a misstep in handling the matter.
Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian naval officer, was arrested by Pakistani authorities in March 2016 in Balochistan, where he was accused of espionage and subversive activities on behalf of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Pakistan claims Jadhav was involved in fomenting unrest in Balochistan and Karachi, a charge India has consistently denied, asserting that Jadhav was a businessman operating out of Iran who was abducted and illegally renditioned to Pakistan. In April 2017, a Pakistani military court sentenced Jadhav to death, prompting India to approach the ICJ, which subsequently stayed the execution in May 2017 pending a review of the case.
Jadhav’s fate remains uncertain as his mercy petition, reportedly filed before the Pakistan Army Chief, awaits a decision. The case has been a major sticking point in bilateral relations, with India accusing Pakistan of denying consular access and conducting a farcical trial, while Pakistan insists Jadhav’s confessions and evidence of his alleged espionage justify the sentence.
Speaking to ABN News, Abdul Basit took a firm stance against granting Jadhav any leniency. “Kulbhushan Jadhav is not an ordinary prisoner; he is an alleged Indian spy who has been involved in activities aimed at destabilizing Pakistan,” Basit stated. “His mercy petition pending with the Pakistan Army Chief should be outrightly rejected. There can be no compromise when it comes to national security and the lives of innocent Pakistanis lost due to such subversive acts.”
Basit’s comments appear to align with a broader narrative in Pakistan that portrays Jadhav as a symbol of alleged Indian interference. He referenced the recent Jaffar Express train incident—an event that some in Pakistan have speculated could be linked to foreign sabotage—though India has categorically denied any role. “India always denies its involvement in such incidents, whether it’s the Jaffar Express or other acts of terrorism on our soil. But the evidence against Jadhav speaks for itself,” Basit claimed, though he did not provide specifics beyond Pakistan’s longstanding allegations.
In a surprising admission, Basit also expressed regret over Pakistan’s decision to engage with the ICJ in response to India’s legal challenge over Jadhav’s case. In 2017, India approached the ICJ, arguing that Pakistan had violated the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations by denying consular access to Jadhav and conducting an opaque trial. The ICJ’s interim ruling stayed Jadhav’s execution and directed Pakistan to provide consular access, a decision that Pakistan has partially complied with but which remains a point of contention.
Basit argued that Pakistan’s decision to participate in the ICJ proceedings was a strategic error. “We should not have gone to the ICJ in the first place,” he told ABN News. “This matter was a sovereign issue concerning our national security. By engaging with the ICJ, we allowed India to internationalize the issue and portray itself as a victim, which has only complicated our position.” Basit suggested that Pakistan could have handled the matter unilaterally, asserting that Jadhav’s case falls under domestic jurisdiction rather than international law.
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