Pak releases second video of Jadhav’s “admissions” to guilt
The Indian pitch on the Kulbhushan Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seems to have been queered. According to Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, the official spokesperson of the Pakistan Armed Forces, Jadhav seems to have appealed to the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa for clemency.
Not only that, as per Gen. Ghafoor, and as per media reports in Pakistan—Dunyanews TV —Jadhav on Thursday (June 22) issued an apology in which he has allegedly admitted his “indulgence in terrorist activities.” The Pakistani COAS holds the right to acquit him of his charges.
Gen. Ghafoor issued a press release on his official Twitter handle with the message that Jadhav seemingly “confessed to spreading terrorism in Balochistan and Sindh.”
Jadhav had been given the death sentence by a Pakistani General Court Marshal for alleged “espionage and sabotage activities in Karachi and Balochistan.” India got this sentence stayed at the ICJ, calling this “egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.”
While the next hearing is pending at the ICJ, the Pakistani Army seems to have coaxed or forced such an admission of guilt from the former Indian navy man.
Gen. Ghafoor also posted a second confessional video of Jadhav on June 22 in which he “reaffirmed his confession to spread terrorism in Balochistan.”
Earlier, Jadhav had appealed to the Military Appellate Court of Pakistan for mercy. That appeal was rejected. If his appeal to the COAS is also rejected, Jadhav can appeal to the President.
—India Legal Bureau