Kulbhushan Jadhav's sentencing can spark covert war: Pakistan media

One daily reported that Pakistan military had been hasty in deciding to execute Jadhav

Pakistan's decision to sentence to death an alleged Indian spy can spark "a new, highly destabilising round of covert actions" by both countries, a Pakistani daily warned on Wednesday.

Another newspaper wondered if the Pakistani military had been hasty in deciding to execute Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of espionage and waging war against Islamabad.

Spy wars between India and Pakistan erupt occasionally, the Dawn said in an editorial.

"But Jadhav's case is far beyond routine action and could herald a new, highly destabilising round of covert actions by one country against the other's security and intelligence apparatus," it added.

The Dawn hoped that back-channel communications or third-party interventions would help India and Pakistan to quickly de-escalate tensions on Jadhav — and establish new rules on spycraft.

India has warned that if Jadhav was executed, it would amount to premeditated murder.

The sentencing of Jadhav, who Pakistan claims was arrested in Balochistan last year, had sent the "already troubled India-Pakistan relationship into deep uncertainty", the Dawn said.

And despite Jadhav's conviction, "there remain many unanswered questions", it added.

The Daily Times wondered whether Pakistani authorities had procured all information from Jadhav "or whether they have been hasty in deciding to execute him".

Jadhav's arrest and sentencing "is a reminder that the deadly proxy wars these two neighbours like to engage in are likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

"It is high time both sides to an end to such manoeuvrings and draw up a new outline to work on the prospect of establishing peaceful relations."

Pakistani routinely accuses India of fomenting trouble in Balochistan and Karachi. New Delhi has for years accused Islamabad of funding and supporting terrorist groups in India, including in Jammu and Kashmir.