Tension between India and Pakistan peaked once again as the Pakistani authorities pronounced a death sentence on Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, on charges of espionage and activities of sabotage.

“The spy has been tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded death sentence,” stated a press release issued by Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).

This prompted India to immediately halt the release of about a dozen Pakistani prisoners, who were expected to be set free on Wednesday.

In addition to this, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit to issue a scathing demarche. He told Basit that India would consider Jadhav’s hanging as a “premeditated murder”.

“If this sentence against an Indian citizen, awarded without observing basic norms of law and justice, is carried out, the government and people of India will regard it as a case of premeditated murder,” said the Ministry of External Affairs.

According to sources, the Ministry apparently tried to obtain consular access to Jadhav 13 times ever since he was arrested on March 3 last year through a Counter Intelligence Operation from Mashkel, Balochistan. But India’s request was turned down.

“Jadhav was kidnapped last year from Iran and his subsequent presence in Pakistan has never been explained credibly. The government of India, through its High Commission in Islamabad, has repeatedly sought consular access to him, as provided for by international law. Requests to that effect were formally made 13 times between March 25, 2016 and March 31, 2017. This was not permitted by the Pakistani authorities,” it said.

The Ministry also said that the proceedings that had led to the sentence against Jadhav were “farcical in the absence of any credible evidence against him.” It also said that the Indian High Commission in Pakistan was not even informed about Jadhav’s trial.

According to the Ministry, senior Pakistani figures had also cast doubt about the adequacy of evidence.

Apparently, in December last year Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Pakistan Prime Minister Sartaj Aziz had stated that there was no conclusive evidence against Jadhav.

The Ministry also said the claim made by ISPR that Jadhav was provided with a defending officer during the trial was “clearly absurd” under the circumstances.

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