Friends of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the retired Indian navy officer sentenced to death in Pakistan on spying charges, have started a campaign in a bid to put pressure on Pakistan and secure their friend’s release.
Recounting his childhood days, Jadhav’s friend Tulsiram Pawar said the former navy officer was good at both sports and studies. “He was very studious and used to teach us English,” Pawar said.
Jadhav, who was held guilty of espionage in Balochistan by a Pakistan military court, spent his early days in Parel and used to stay in the police quarters with his family. Pawar was his neighbour and the two spent a lot of time together as kids.
Pawar, along with other friends of Jadhav, have decided to do their bid in helping the 46-year-old get justice. They have started a signature campaign through which they intend to put pressure on Pakistan.
“We are meeting various political parties to seek their help apart from trying to meet the foreign minister and Prime minister,” he said.
Kulbhushan Jadhav, the retired Indian navy officer sentenced to death in Pakistan on spying charges, with his friends. (HT Photi)
Pawar said they were even willing to meet the Pakistan high commissioner. “All we want is for Kulbhushan to come back safely from Pakistan,” he added.
Family away from public eye
While Jadhav’s friends are reaching out to others in an attempt to bring him back, the former naval officer’s family members have chosen to stay away from public eye.
“Please understand, it’s testing times for us and I cannot make any comment,” Jadhav’s uncle and Maharashtra’s former assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Subhash Jadhav told HT.
The family remained huddled at their Powai residence, with police deploying its personnel outside the building premises as a precautionary measure.
The residents of the building have also chosen to remain tight-lipped and are not speaking to the media. The locality had witnessed similar media frenzy when Jadhav was arrested by Pakistani authorities in 2016.
According to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel was arrested on March 3, 2016 from Mashkel area of Balochistan for his “involvement in espionage and sabotage actives” in Pakistan’s Balochistan province and Karachi city.
Source: HindustanTimes