Alleged Indian "spy" Kulbhushan Jadhav will not be executed until the time he exhausts his right to seek clemency, Pakistan said on Thursday.
A military court in Pakistan had sentenced Jadhav to death for "espionage and subversive activities." Pakistan had used a video confession of Jadhav to claim that he was a RAW agent. However, India has since told the ICJ that Jadhav was forced to confess on camera.
India had approached the ICJ on May 8 demanding immediate suspension of the death sentence given to its former Navy officer. The Hague-based international court has stayed Jadhav's hanging until it gives the final verdict.
On Thursday, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria released a statement saying that Jadhav will remain alive till he runs out of mercy pleas.
"Irrespective of ICJ's stay, Jadhav will remain alive until he has exhausted the right to request for clemency, initially with the COAS (army chief) and later with President," Zakaria said. Jadhav has two chances to file a mercy plea, initially with the Pakistan Army chief and later with the Pakistan President.
Zakaria said that his statement was aimed at addressing "certain misrepresentations/false statements/allegations" made by the Indian media following the ICJ's provisional order of May 18.
The spokesperson also accused the Narendra Modi government of misusing the media to create a "false impression of winning" Jadhav's case in the ICJ.
"Indian media, backed by the official quarters, misled people in the two countries by propagating that India has won in Jadhav's case. The discussions that ensued in the two countries showed a complete lack of understanding of the matter," Zakaria said.
Zakaria had earlier told Dawn News that "Jadhav continues to provide crucial intelligence with regard to recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan." The official, however, did not elaborate on details of intelligence allegedly provided by Jadhav.
