Death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav 'gross violation of international law': Defence expert

Defence expert Brigadier (Retd.) Anil Gupta on Monday lashed out at Islamabad after a Pakistan military court sentenced to death Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav arrested last year on charges of spying and said this development is a gross violation of international law and all international convention.

Stating that Pakistan has got a properly elected civil government, Brigadier (Retd.) Gupta said the trial of an Indian national by the Pakistan military court is, therefore, highly illegal.

"Secondly, Pakistan has so far been denying that there is no evidence against Jadhav and all of a sudden they have announced death sentence," he added.

Brigadier (Retd.) Gupta further said that if the Pakistan Army, which was investigating the case, had some evidence then they should have brought that evidence to the public domain and then had him tried by a civil court in the country.

"So, all these things put together it is very evident that all these things have been done clandestinely to prove to the world and India that Pakistan can do whatever it wants. It does not respect any international law and conventions," Brigadier (Retd.) Gupta told ANI.

"India must react very very strongly to it and tell Pakistan that it is unacceptable to us. It is a cross violation of international law and all international convention," he added.

Meanwhile, another defence expert claimed that India had the reason to be shocked stating that the Indian national was not been given justice and that his rights were trampled upon.

"We are absolutely shocked and I think India as a country has a reason to be shocked. A man has not been given justice. His rights have been trampled upon," Raj Kadyan told ANI.

He further alleged that Pakistan has ignored all the international norms claiming that they did not even give any consular access to Kulbhushan.

Earlier, Jadhav was given the death sentence by the Pakistan Military, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan said in a statement.

Jadhav was arrested on March 3, 2016, through an operation in Balochistan's Mashkel area for his alleged involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan, the ISPR said.

"The spy was tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded the death sentence. Today Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed his death sentence awarded by FGCM," the ISPR said.

Jadhav was "tried by FGCM under section 59 of Pakistan Army Act (PAA) 1952 and Section 3 of official Secret Act of 1923," the ISPR said.