Former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on a death row in Pakistan for alleged espionage is undergoing another trial under the charges of "sabotage and terrorism", reported Pakistan daily Dawn on Monday, citing an unnamed official.
The official said that Jadhav has multiple cases on him in which he has been charged with terrorism and sabotage but he hasn't confirmed whether this trial is being conducted in the military court, just like the earlier one.
The report stated that the Pakistan government had sought access to 13 Indian officials to ascertain information in the Jadhav case but New Delhi did not cooperate. This fact was also mentioned in the counter-memorial submitted to Hague's International Court of Justice (ICJ) by Pakistan.
While the official did not disclose the 13 Indian officials, he, however, said: "We want to reach Jadhav's handlers." A source in New Delhi told Dawn that the list included India's national security advisor Ajit Doval and a former RAW chief.
Pakistan claims that Jadhav was captured on March 3, 2016, in Balochistan. India contends that claim and says that he was picked from Iran while on a personal visit.
A Pakistan military court sentenced him to death in April last year, but India approached International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague which stayed the sentence in May.
The source told the Daily that Pakistan sought information regarding his Navy service file, bank record of his pension payment (as India claims he was a retired officer), and how he was issued a passport in the name of Mubarak Hussain Patel and whether it was fake or original.
"We have asked if the passport is fake (then) how he exited Mumbai and Delhi airports 18 times," the source said.
ICJ next hearing
The oral arguments by both the nations, India and Pakistan, are yet to commence, but ICJ fixed April 17 and July 17 as the deadline for India and Pakistan respectively for filing written pleadings in the case. The court is also hearing a petition by India challenging Pakistan's refusal to grant consular access to Jadhav.
Mother, wife intimidated
Last year, India had requested Pakistan to let Jadhav's wife and mother meet him in the jail. However, what was supposed to be an emotional moment for the family turned out to be an intimidating experience only further worsening the relations between the two countries.
MEA Sushma Swaraj had also lashed out at the Pakistan government for ill-treating Jadhav's kin.
