Pakistan Playing Dangerous Game in Kulbhushan Jadhav's case: Manohar Parrikar

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar/FILE PHOTO: PTI)

Panaji: Former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday said that Pakistan is playing a “dangerous game” in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death in the neighbouring country on charges of spying.

“Pakistan is playing a dangerous game. Pakistan should understand that if India starts retaliating then it does not have the power to fight back, whatever they may project themselves to be,” the Goa Chief Minister told the Doordarshan in an interview which was aired this evening.

“But, we want peace. We do not want provocation. So they should send Jadhav back,” he said.

“First of all, they have abducted him. He was not in Pakistan. He was in Iran. Iran has said that the Taliban kidnapped him and took him to Pakistan. Pakistan has a habit of doing something or other,” Parrikar said.

“….(External Affairs Minister) Sushma Swaraj has given an apt reply — ‘we will not keep quiet’ (if Pakistan executes Jadhav). The country will do what is required. We can take care of Pakistan if it tries to do anything ill-advised,” he said.

A military court in Pakistan has sentenced Indian naval staff Jadhav to death for alleged espionage. The Indian government reacted strongly to the development saying if the sentence were to be carried out it would be considered as “pre-meditated murder”.