Jadhav's hanging will hit 'bilateral ties very hard': Ex-foreign secy

Former foreign secretary Salman Haider on Wednesday said the death sentence to Indian national Kulbhusan Jadhav will severely affect the bilateral ties between New Delhi and Islamabad.

"India and Pakistan ties will be hit very hard if Indian national Kulbhusan Jadhav is hanged in Pakistan," Haider told ANI.

He, however, expressed hope that India's efforts to save Jadhav will succeed.

"I would not like to think that efforts to save will not succeed," said Haider.

He said India will do everything to impose pressure on Pakistan so that Jadhav is set free.

Demanding consular access to Jadhav, the former foreign secretary said, "We need to know more about Jadhav and what happened to him. That is why we have asked for the consular access. It is a very strange thing that consular access has been denied by Pakistan. It is quite normal under the Vienna agreement that the home country is permitted to meet the prisoner."

He, however, differed with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's assertion in Lok Sabha that when Jadhav was having a valid Indian passport then how he could be a spy.

He didn't accept it as a 'critical point' and said spies all over the world generally have deep covers, but categorically stated that he was not talking about Jadhav.

Haider also didn't second Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's demand of expelling Pakistan Ambassador in India Abdul Basit to give a stern message to Islamabad.

"I am not sure whether this is the right time to take action what he has suggested. I think we will have to keep up the pressure on Pakistan to see what results it has," said Haider.