Death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav a 'govt. implemented murder': Shiv Sena

Asserting that the death sentence given to alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav by the military court in Pakistan is a complete government implemented murder, the Shiv Sena on 11 April said that New Delhi must put pressure on Islamabad raise this issue before the United Nations.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said this issue yet again proves the fact that Pakistan cannot be relied upon and in no way can be thought as a friendly nation to India.

"Once again it has been proved and Kulbhushan Jadhav has been framed. This is a complete government implemented murder. India needs to put pressure, India needs to take this issue to the United Nations, garner the entire world community's support in favour of Kulbhushan Jadhav," she added.

Responding to a poser on India summoning Pakistan's High Commissioner Abdul Basit over this matter, Kayande said that New Delhi must definitely retaliate.

"Yes, it should be treated that way and we should not allow any Pakistani prisoner to be set free. I think we have to

India yesterday summoned Basit and issued a demarche against the Pakistan military court for awarding death sentence to Jadhav.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was not even informed about Jadhav's trial in the court.

The MEA added that the subsequent presence of Jadhav, who was kidnapped last year from Iran, has never been explained credibly by the Pakistani authorities.

"The proceedings that have led to the sentence against Jadhav are farcical in the absence of any credible evidence against him. Senior Pakistani figures have themselves cast doubt about the adequacy of the evidence," an official release stated.

"The claim in the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) release that Jadhav was provided with a defending officer during the so-called trial is clearly absurd in the circumstances," it added.

The MEA said the Indian Government, through its High Commission in Islamabad, repeatedly sought consular access to Jadhav, as provided for by the international law.

"Requests to that effect were formally made 13 times between March 25, 2016 and March 31, 2017. This was not permitted by the Pakistani authorities," the statement said.

"If this sentence against an Indian citizen, awarded without observing basic norms of law and justice, is carried out, the Government and people of India will regard it as a case of premeditated murder," the statement added.(

-ANI