ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday asked Tehran to investigate and share details of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav’s activities in Iran, along with those of his colleague, who was identified as Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Sub Inspector Rakesh alias Rizwan.
Jadhav, who was arrested in Balochistan earlier this month, confessed to being a serving officer in the Indian Navy and directing subversive activities in Karachi and Balochistan “at the behest of RAW”.
In a confessional video aired by the Pakistani government, Jadhav said: “By 2002, I commenced intelligence operations. In 2003, I established a small business in Chabahar in Iran. As I was able to achieve undetected existence and visits to Karachi in 2003 and 2004.”
Pakistan, in a letter addressed to Ambassador Mehdi Honardoost of the Iranian Embassy in Islamabad asks Iran to:
- Immediately arrest and hand over an individual identified as Rakesh, alias Rizwan, for interrogation
- Verify activities of Jadhav as stated above, along with records of visits to Iran
- Provide a record of his stay in Iran including cities visited and the duration of these visits
- Provide a record of people interacted with and purpose of these interactions
- Share details of RAW networks on Iranian soil
The letter was signed by Federal Interior Secretary Arif Ahmed Khan, says Pakistan “expects Iran to seriously look at Islamabad’s assertions and take every step to stem incursion of Indian spies into Pakistani territory.”
“Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar raised the issue of Indian saboteurs using Iranian soil with visiting Iranian dignitaries,” the letter said, drawing attention to the issue of intrusions from Iran.
“Jadhav was covertly based in Chabahar, Iran, under the pretext of being a jeweller/businessman. He was assisted by RAW Sub Inspector Rakesh, alias Rizwan, a key operative who was also working undercover as a businessman dealing in jewellery.”
“Jadhav had an Iranian visa along with an Indian passport,” it said, “And he had crossed over to Balochistan’s Mashkhel area from Saravan, Iran”
The letter said Jadhav’s mission “included spying and sabotage, in addition to fomenting insecurity and instability in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan”.
Iran’s cooperation in this regard, the letter said, will not only improve relations between the two countries but also help reduce terrorism and unrest in the region.
“Pakistan has persistently maintained that the Indian state is sponsoring terrorism, sabotage and subversion in the country. The government has presented dossiers of such evidence to the United Nations on Indian involvement in Balochistan. However this evidence is unattended to as the world body has paid no attention to it.”
