A SECOND confession, and yet more revelations.
The ISPR on Thursday released another video recording of convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav in which he gave further information about his subversive activities in Pakistan.
They include details about the specific areas he was targeting, his modus operandi for facilitating the infiltration of RAW agents into the country from the Makran coast, the illegal transactions undertaken to finance the operations, etc.
The ISPR’s stated objective of placing the confession in the public domain is “that the world should know what India has done and continues to do against Pakistan”.
It is a welcome opportunity for an establishment that has long bristled at the world’s dismissive attitude towards its regional concerns.
For Jadhav, making a clean breast of what he has been orchestrating in this country has no obvious downside: he has already been found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial.
His fulsome account and expression of contrition may even help him in his appeal for clemency to the army chief.
Jadhav’s culpability aside, it is in Pakistan’s interest that the authorities proceed in a procedurally fair and transparent manner.
This would to some extent help reverse some of the world’s negative perceptions about this country.
Any other course will work in India’s favour by enabling it to divert international attention from the actual, substantive issue, that is, its meddling in Pakistan’s internal affairs.
Our neighbour has already proven itself adept at such a smoke-and-mirror strategy.
Moreover, if this is an open-and-shut case, as it so appears, Pakistan should share the details of the proceedings in the special military tribunal with the International Court of Justice which is hearing India’s petition alleging lack of consular access to its citizen during his detention and trial.
Such a measure would counter the country’s claims that it had sought recourse to the ICJ because Jadhav was convicted in a sham trial and that his life was in danger.
It would also negate India’s criticism following the latest development that the video confession is a selectively culled, manufactured statement, and an attempt to influence ICJ proceedings.
That said, given that this case involves a foreign national, that too of a country with which Pakistan has a long and bitter history, it would be prudent to let the final decision lie with the president.
Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2017
