Pakistan playing risky game in Kulbhushan Jadhav's case, says Parrikar

The denial of clearance to the delegation comes amidst deepening row over death sentence awarded to Indian national Jadhav on charges of spying and subversion.

Earlier on Saturday (April 15), India marked its protest against the verdict by suspending maritime talks with Pakistan.

Mohammad Khalil, Imtiaz, and Rashid, all from Taroti village in Abbaspur - a small town located near the de-facto border separating India and Pakistan - were arrested for allegedly bombing a police station in Pakistan's Kashmir.

Meanwhile, IANS reported that at least three persons, said to be agents of the Research and Analysis Wing by Pakistan police, have been arrested in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

While Pakistan maintain that Jadhav was given a fair trial and was subsequently found to have been a RAW asset, India say he was a former naval officer and had no links to the establishment anymore.

India has called off the Indo-Pak maritime security dialogue it was to host next week, in the backdrop of tensions arising over the death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of spying in Pakistan.

A delegation of the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) was to visit New Delhi on April 16-19 to discuss issues related to fishermen of both the countries, who are arrested for trespassing, and search and rescue operations with the Indian Coast Guard.

On Friday, Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Gautam Bambawale told Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua that India will appeal against the death sentence to Jadhav and demanded from Pakistan a certified copy of the chargesheet as well as the army court order in the case, besides seeking consular access to the retired Indian navy officer.

"It has been said in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha that in the matter of Kulbhushan Jadhav there can be no politics".

India followed it up by placing three demands as it asked for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav and a detailed copy of military court's verdict.

New Delhi also believe that Jadhav might have been abducted by Pakistan from Iran.