Man who facilitated Kulbhushan Jadhav's arrest, killed: Indian media

Indian media has claimed that well-known religious scholar Mufti Shah Mir, accused of facilitating the arrest of Indian operative Kulbhushan Jadhav, was shot dead in Turbat, Balochistan, on Friday.

Bikers reportedly ambushed Mir and shot him multiple times at point-blank range as he was leaving the local mosque after night (Taraweeh) prayers.

Indian media details that two other persons linked to the religious political party, Wadera Ghulam Sarwar and Maulvi Amanullah, were shot dead last week by bike-riding assailants in what the local police described as targeted killings. The security guard of one also sustained bullet injuries.

Mir had reportedly survived two assassination attempts last year and had recently restricted his movements.

Meanwhile, police told a leading Pakistani English newspaper that the religious scholar was shot by armed men in Turbat town, Kech, as he was coming out of the mosque after performing night prayers.

Police said, “Armed men riding motorcycles opened fire on Mufti Shah Mir and injured him seriously,” adding that Mir was immediately shifted to Turbat Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries.

Kulbhushan Jadhav

Yadav, a former Indian Navy commander deployed by the Indian covert agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) as a high-level spy in Pakistan to orchestrate terrorism and insurgency in Balochistan, was arrested on March 3, 2016.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement, Jadhav was arrested through a counter-intelligence operation in Balochistan's Mashkel area for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan.

In April 2017, a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) handed Jadhav the death sentence after trial for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities in Karachi and Balochistan.

“The spy was tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded the death sentence. Today Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed his death sentence awarded by FGCM,” the military's media wing had said.

Jadhav confessed before a magistrate and court that he was tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organise espionage and sabotage activities seeking to destabilise and wage war against Pakistan by impeding the efforts of law enforcement agencies for the restoration of peace in Balochistan and Karachi, the ISPR said.

However, the order of sentencing the Indian spy is yet to be implemented as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a stay on it in July 2019.