Stop the slide towards the precipice
It was usual during the Cold War for the US and Soviet Union to either swap their arrested spies from time to time or send them to jail for a number of years. That this failed to happen in Kulbhushan Jhadav’s case is indicative of antagonism continuing to deepen between India and Pakistan. The arrest of an Indian Navy officer turned RAW operative helped Pakistan present proof to the world of New Delhi’s involvement in sponsoring terrorism in Karachi and Balochistan. The death sentence is meant to convey a stern message that Pakistan will not allow anyone found involved go unpunished.
India has consistently turned down offers of talks by Pakistan after the Uri terrorist attack. Meanwhile Indian government continued to poke the Pakistan Army in the eye, beginning with claims about a surgical strike and ending with photo-ops of Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina Wajid with Narendra Modi at Delhi Cantonment’s Manekshaw Convention with pictures depicting the fall of Dhaka in the background.
A full-fledged war has already erupted on social media between the supporters and opponents of the sentence. This will only add to the prevailing bitterness. India has already issued a strongly worded demarche. It has also decided not to release about a dozen Pakistani prisoners, who were to be repatriated on Wednesday. Will the Indian government take a tit-for-tat action, by accusing someone in custody of being a Pakistani spy and seek a similar judgment against him? Will there be a spurt in ceasefire violations on the LoC? Or will the two NSAs try to find a way that reduces tensions between the two countries? The only way to delay the execution or get it commuted to a lighter sentence is by using the right of appeal provided under the recently passed military courts law before the High Courts and the Supreme Court. Rationality requires that both countries shun increasing the level of hostility by resuming the talks and agreeing to jointly fight terrorism which threatens to destabilise both the countries.