Jadhav’s latest video statement is coerced, says MEA

In a video released by Pakistan on Thursday, Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is serving a death sentence in that country on charges of espionage and terrorism, is seen claiming that he is still a commissioned Indian Navy officer. In response, the Indian government termed the video as yet another “propagandist exercise” by Pakistan.

“My mother felt very happy seeing me in good shape and my physical fitness…They are taking care of me, they have not harmed me, they have not touched me. But I have to say one thing very important here, for the Indian public, Indian crowd, Indian government and the Indian Navy, that my commission is not gone. I am a commissioned officer of the Indian Navy,” Jadhav says in the video.

Jadhav, who was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in 2016, was allowed to meet his mother and wife on December 25 last year.

On meeting his family, Jadhav hinted at the alleged mistreatment of his mother and wife by the Indian diplomat accompanying them. The two ladies had been escorted by India’s Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan, JP Singh.

“I saw fear in the eyes of my mother and my wife. Why should there be fear?...They’ve been threatened. The Indian diplomat or the Indian person who had come along with my mother was shouting on my mother the moment she stepped out was yelling at her (sic). Has she been brought under threat here, to meet me? This gesture was a positive gesture so that she feels happy; I feel happy and then the Indian diplomat or person standing outside is yelling at her?(sic),” Jadhav says in the video.

In the video, which lasted about 2 minutes, Jadhav said his mother was in shock for being in a “bad threatened position” even as he thanked both governments for organising the meeting.

Rejecting the video as yet another “propagandistic” exercise by Pakistan, the India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said: “Pakistan is simply continuing its practice of putting out coerced statements on video.”

“The absurdity of a captive under duress certifying his own welfare while mouthing allegations of his captors clearly merits no comment. Pakistan is best advised to fulfil its international obligations, whether it pertains to consular relations or UNSC resolutions 1267 and 1373 on terrorism and to desist from continuing violations of human rights of an Indian national,” said MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

In 2017, India had dragged Pakistan to the UN’s judicial arm — the International Court of Justice — for not granting consular access to Jadhav.

Pakistani government sources say that since Jadhav is a convict, the kind of consular access that is to be granted to him will also be of a different category.

“There is no question of giving consular access to India. He is a convict. The category of convict has a different treatment category of consular access. We have always maintained that position and we will continue to follow it,” a top Pakistani official told BusinessLine .

After the meeting between Jadhav and his family, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had expressed displeasure at the manner in which it was held. She had complained that Jadhav’s mother and wife were ill-treated and that Pakistan did not meet the protocol agreed upon by the two countries.

COMMENT NOW