India must counter Pak's gimmicks, say defence experts

New Delhi [India], Apr 20 (ANI): Commenting on the death sentence issued to alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, defence experts on Thursday said it was crucial for India and Pakistan to follow appropriate protocol, rather than getting 'emotionally influenced'. Speaking to ANI here, defence expert S.R. Sinho stressed on the fact that it was time Pakistan accepted the request of the Ministry of External Affairs to grant consular access to Jadhav. "With the Pakistan High Commission refusing consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, the bilateral relations between the countries are getting strained. Pakistan always does such gimmicks with India. We must be prepared with counter measures to tackle the situation," he said. Echoing a similar opinion, defence expert Uday Bhaskar asserted that the Indian authorities were kept in the dark with regard to the alleged abduction of Jadhav. "India is going through a traditional diplomatic response. The case must be substantiated before the court of law in a normative professional manner, rather than being influenced emotionally," he said. Drawing parallels to the trial of 26/11 accused Ajmal Kasab, Bhaskar further stated that it was important for Pakistan to incorporate more transparency in their procedures. A military court had earlier found Jadhav guilty on two counts of espionage and sentenced him to death. The statement said Jadhav confessed that he was tasked by Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), to 'plan, coordinate and organise espionage/sabotage activities aiming to destabilise and wage war against Pakistan.' India has strongly objected to the sentencing, saying consular officials were denied access to Jadhav during his trial. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj issued a stern warning to Pakistan, saying that Islamabad should be wary of taking such an extreme step as it could result in damaging the bilateral relations between the already hostile neighbors. "It is an indefensible verdict against an innocent Indian citizen. We have no option but to deem the sentence a premeditated murder. Our position is very clear; there is no evidence of wrongdoing by Kulbhushan Jadhav. I would caution Pakistan government to consider the consequences for our bilateral relationship if they proceed on this matter," said Swaraj in Rajya Sabha. "I would also like to tell the House that I have been in touch with the parents of Jadhav and we are extending our fullest support to them in this difficult situation. A strong sense of solidarity expressed by the House will give them more courage at this time," she added. (ANI)