It is another sign to show who is really at the helm in Pak: Observers

ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI /LONDON: Human rights activists in Pakistan said while the chances of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian Navy official sentenced to death on charges of spying, being hanged are slim, there is also very little possibility that he will be released.

“What the Pakistan Army has done has raised the stakes to publicly embarrass both the Sharif and the Modi governments,” said a human rights activist.

Observers said military high command could use Jadhav to get concessions from the Modi government. “It’s another sign to show who really is in control in Pakistan,” said an analyst.

The army decision, however, was hailed by various quarters. Many have called for his immediate hanging. “This shows the decisive action of the army,” said TV anchor Dr Shahid Masood.

Human rights organisations expressed fear over the decision as no outside observers were involved. “It is a sham,” said one leading human rights activist ,who added that the civilian government was not taken into confidence by the military.

There is great deal of confusion about what is next for Jadhav. “This move is a reminder that Pakistan deserves no special consideration from India, whether on Indus waters or any other issue,” said strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellany.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International said Pakistan’s military court system has once again showed how it “rides roughshod over international standards”.

“The death sentence given to Kulbushan Jadhav shows yet again how Pakistan’s military court system rides roughshod over international standards,” Biraj Patnaik, South Asia Director, Amnesty International, said.