‘Manufactured facts can’t alter reality’, says India after Pakistan releases Kulbhushan Jadhav’s new ‘confession’ video

"We expect Pakistan to abide by the order of ICJ staying Mr. Jadhav’s execution and desist from attempting to influence the ICJ proceedings through false propaganda," Ministry of External Affairs said.

Updated: June 23, 2017 1:29 AM IST

By Mohammed Uzair Shaikh

'Manufactured facts can't alter reality', says India after Pakistan releases Kulbhushan Jadhav's new 'confession' video
Kulbhushan Jadhav - File Photo

New Delhi, June 23: Dismissing the second video of Kulbhushan Jadhav’s ‘confession’ released by Pakistan, India claimed the footage was not authentic. New Delhi accused Islamabad of attempting to mislead the International Court of Justice, which is hearing Kulbhushan’s case, by releasing a ‘concocted’ video to validate the ‘dubious’ charges levelled against the Indian national.

“Manufactured facts cannot alter reality, and do not detract from the fact that Pakistan is in violation of its international obligation to India and Mr. Jadhav,” the statement issued by Ministry of External Affairs said, further adding that Kulbhushan was convicted by Pakistan’s military court in a fraudulent manner.

“We expect Pakistan to abide by the order of ICJ staying Mr. Jadhav’s execution and desist from attempting to influence the ICJ proceedings through false propaganda,” it added.

MEA spokesperson Gopal Bagley said the development once again brings out “the lack of transparency and farcical nature of proceedings against Mr Jadhav on concocted charges”.

Apart from releasing the video of confession, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) also issued a statement claiming that Kulbhushan has filed his mercy petition before Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa. It further added that his review petition before the military appellate court was rejected.

Demanding Pakistan to release the details of Kulbhushan’s mercy petition, Bagley said, “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.”

In the past week, New Delhi had appealed Pakistan to grant consular access to Kulbhushan to efficiently exhaust the remainder of his legal options. However, no response was issued from Islamabad. “The Government has once again demanded earlier this week onsular access to Mr. Jadhav and reiterated his family’s request for visas,” the MEA statement added.

The next set of hearing in Kulbhushan’s case is listed at ICJ in August. The Hague-based court, in the past month, stayed the death penalty awarded to Kulbhushan by Pakistan’s Field General Court Martial. It further sought an assurance from the Nawaz Sharif-led regime that no step towards execution would be taken till the world court arrives at its final verdict.

Kulbhushan, the former Indian naval commander, was taken into custody by Pakistan’s ISI in March 2016. According to Islamabad, he was arrested from the restive region of Balochistan, for ‘fueling insurgency’. However, India has contested the claim, alleging that Kulbhushan was kidnapped from Iran’s Chabahar port by personnel of Pakistan’s intelligence group.

In April this year, the military court of Pakistan sentenced Kulbhushan to death under Official Secrets Act, 1929. He was charged for espionage and fueling subversive activities in Balochistan and Sindh.

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