Jadhav not lone espionage case between India, Pakistan
At least 43 Indians and Pakistanis lodged in neighbouring jails are either convicted on charges of spying or facing trial, according to a 2015 list
Former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav is not the only Indian in Pakistan’s custody on charges of spying. There are 13 others lodged in Pakistan jails, facing similar charges.
More than 30 Pakistanis too were found to be lodged in Indian prisons — either convicted on charges of spying or facing trial— according to a 2015 list.
Jadhav is also not the only Indian to whom Pakistan has denied consular access.
The neighbouring country earlier refused consular access to Hamid Nehal Ansari, a 27-yearold management teacher from Mumbai, who went to Pakistan in search of a woman he fell in love on Facebook.
In all there are 208 Indians in Pakistani jail. Among them 174 are fishermen. “Among the civilian prisoners, 13 are facing espionage charges,” said a government source. India and Pakistan started exchanging list of nationals of each country lodged in other country’s jails following an agreement on consular access signed in 2008.
Under the agreement, twice every year — on January 1 and July 1 — both the countries exchange the lists of prisoners (civil as well as fishermen) through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad. Despite a chill in relations between the two countries, the last exchange of lists took place on January 1 this year.
Of the 31 Pakistanis, who are either facing trial or undergoing sentence on the charges of spying in India, many have served their sentence but can’t be deported as Pakistan refuses to accept them as its nationals.
Sajeed Muneer, for instance, spent about 12 years in Indian jail for espionage before being released on June 5 last year. Pakistan does not acknowledge him as its national and hasn’t responded to India’s request to take him back. For the past 10 months, Bhopal police are taking care of his daily needs at a safe location.
Masood Akhtar, another Pakistani national accused of being an ISI agent, was sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment in 2003. He was due for release but is still lodged in Ambala central jail. Activists of an Indo-Pak peace initiative ,’ A ag ha z-e-Dos ti’ had accessed the lists that were exchanged on July 1, 2015.
The list had names of 251 Pak prisoners lodged in Indian jails. HT reviewed the charges against them and found that 31 among them were lodged either on the charges of collecting secret information or violation of Official Secrets Act.
Professor Bhim Singh, a patron of the National Panthers Party, has been fighting for release of those Pakistani prisoners who have completed their sentence and eligible for release. Singh is approaching the Pakistani Supreme Court for providing legal aide to Jadhav.
India was about to release around a dozen Pakistani prisoners but following the announcement of death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav, it has put on hold the release.