Pak envoy calls Jadhav ‘terrorist’

Even as Parliament on Tuesday erupted with anger against Pakistan for awarding death sentence against former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, Pakistan’s high commissioner to India Abdul Basit referred to Mr Jadhav as a “terrorist”.

Speaking to a Pakistani news channel about the death sentence awarded to Mr Jadhav, Mr Basit, on Tuesday, said, “A terrorist should meet his fate for whatever he did.”

Mr Basit’s comments came amid a nationwide outrage over a Pakistani military court declaring Mr Jadhav a spy and sentencing him to death.

“First they indulge in

terrorism on our land. And now that we have punished a terrorist, why the protest?” Mr Basit is reported to have said. The report also said Pakistan has done nothing wrong by sentencing Mr Jadhav to death. The report also called Mr Jadhav — who was arrested in Pakistan in March last year — an agent of the Research and Analysis Wing, an allegation

India has repeatedly denied.

Mr Basit’s comment comes hours ahead of the event at the India International Centre in New Delhi, organised to “improving Indo-Pak relations”.

The invitees to the event include former foreign minister of Pakistan Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, PDP MP Muzzaffar Beg, CPM MP Mohd Salim and senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, among others.

The event was cancelled following the controversy.

Speaking to agencies, the organiser of the event, O.P. Shah, defended the programme stating that the event was scheduled well in advance.

“The programme was scheduled weeks back and such events are needed to improve Indo-Pak relations. I would say that a programme like this should be organised again and again,” Mr Shah said.

India had summoned Mr Basit on Monday and issued a demarche stating that the death sentence if carried out, would amount to “premeditated murder.”