Jadhav’s ‘confessional’ video, mercy petition farcical: India
Pak military releases second video, mercy plea
Islamabad, June 22: The Pakistan military on Thursday released a “second confessional video” in which Kulbhushan Jadhav is purportedly “accepting his acts of terrorism”, and said that Mr Jadhav has sought clemency from the Pakistan Army Chief over the death sentence handed to him by a military court after his plea to an appellate court was rejected.
India called the contents of the alleged mercy petition “manufactured facts” and said that the release of the alleged “confessional” tape was a farcical attempt to prejudice proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The development comes just over a month after ICJ stayed Mr Jadhav’s execution.
Pakistan Army’s InterServices Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement on Thursday, claimed that in his mercy plea, Mr 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 (General Qamar Javed Bajwa) to spare his life on compassionate grounds,” the ISPR said.
The statement added that Mr Jadhav, a 46-yearold retired Indian Navy officer, had earlier appealed to the Military Appellate Court, which was rejected.
Under Pakistan’s law, he is eligible to appeal for clemency to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and, if rejected, subsequently to the Pakistan President.
Reacting hours after the alleged “confessional” tape played on all news channels both sides of the border, India’s ministry of external affairs said, “The developments bring out once again the lack of transparency and farcical nature of proceedings against Mr Jadhav on concocted charges, continued violation of his legal and consular rights and an attempt to introduce prejudice in the proceedings in the ICJ… The details and circumstances of the alleged mercy petition by Mr Jadhav are not clear and even the fact of its existence is doubtful, shrouded as the proceedings against Mr Jadhav have been in opacity.”
India also charged that Pakistan has not disclosed, even to the ICJ, Mr Jadhav’s “purported appeal to a military tribunal” and has prevented his parents from pursuing the appeal.
Earlier this week, India had again demanded consular access to Mr Jadhav and reiterated his family’s request for visas.
”Manufactured facts cannot alter the reality, and do not detract from the fact that Pakistan is in violation of its international obligation to India and Mr Jadhav... India is determined to pursue the matter in ICJ and is confident that justice will be done without being affected in any manner by these unwarranted and misleading steps taken by Pakistan,” MEA’s statement said. Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Mr Jadhav from Balochistan 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 Mr Jadhav can purportedly be seen “accepting his acts of terrorism and espionage”.
In the video, Mr 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.
He is also shown apologising for his acts and seeking pardon.