JADHAV FILES MERCY PETITION WITH PAK ARMY

Islamabad, June 22: Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court, has filed a mercy petition to Pakistan Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Army said here on Thursday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations, in a statement, claimed that in his plea, Jadhav has “admitted his involvement in espionage, terrorist and subversive activities” in Pakistan and “expressed remorse” at the resultant loss of lives and extensive damage to property.

Islamabad, June 22: Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav has sought clemency from the Pakistan Army chief over the death sentence handed down to him by a military court after his plea to an appellate court was rejected, the Army said on Thursday.

The development comes just over a month after the International Court of Justice stayed Jadhav’s execution.

Pakistan Army’s InterServices Public Relations, in a statement, claimed that in his plea, Jadhav has “admitted his involvement in espionage, terrorist and subversive activities” in Pakistan and “expressed remorse” at the resultant loss of lives and extensive damage to property.

“Seeking forgiveness for his actions he has requested the Chief of Army Staff to spare his life on compassionate grounds,” the ISPR said.

Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav from its restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. However, India maintains that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy. The Pakistan military also released a “second confessional video”, in which purportedly Jadhav can be seen “accepting his acts of terrorism and espionage”.

In the video, Jadhav is shown to be detailing his alleged “subversive and terror activities” for which he has been convicted by a military court. “During my judicial proceedings which were held under the field General court martial, I was accorded a defence council by the officials here which were conducting the entire proceedings,” he says in the video.