Nine years ago today Pakistani agencies arrested Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav in Balochistan

It has been nine years since Indian spy agent Kulbhushan Jadhav was apprehended in Pakistan's Balochistan province, where he was orchestrating sabotage activities to disrupt the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and undermine national security.

The undercover operative who indentified himself as Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav and used the alias 'Hussain Mubarak Patel,' was operating a terrorist network by fueling a separatist movement in Balochistan, which he himself confessed to law enforcement agencies. 

However, his plan to disrupt CPEC was foiled by Pakistan's security forces when, on March 3, 2016. The ISPR released a confessional statement of the spy on March 25, 2019. 

Read: Operation Swift Retort: a heroic display of defence by Pakistan armed forces

To conceal his identity, Jadhav operated a business in the Chabahar region of Iran and assumed the identity of 'Hussain Mubarak Patel.' 

In April 2017, Kulbhushan was sentenced to death by a military court, prompting India to appeal to the International Court of Justice. Pakistan later allowed Kulbhushan to meet his mother.

 In 2021, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government passed a law granting consular access to Kulbhushan, but he remains in Pakistani custody. 

Kulbhushan's arrest marked a new low in the already strained relations between Pakistan and India, and it is seen as evidence of Pakistan's intelligence superiority.

After his arrest, Jadhav exposed India's agenda, which involved deploying an Indian Navy officer under the guise of a local businessman in Pakistan to destabilise the region. 

“My name is Commander Kulbhushan Yadav and I am the serving officer of Indian Navy. I am from the cadre of engineering department of Indian Navy and my cover name was Hussein Mubarik Patel, which I had taken for doing some intelligence gathering for Indian agencies.

“I joined the National Defence Academy in 1987 and subsequently joined Indian Navy in Jan 1991 and subsequently served for the Indian Navy till around December 2001 when the Parliament attack occurred and that is when I started contributing my services towards gathering of information and intelligence within India.

“I live in the city of Mumbai in India. I am still the serving officer in the Indian Navy and will be due for retirement by 2022 as a commissioned officer in Indian Navy after having completed 14 years of service by 2002.

“I commenced intelligence operation in 2003 and established a small business in Chabahar in Iran as I was able to achieve undetected existence and visits to Karachi in 2003 and 2004 and having done some basic assignments within India for RAW.

“I was picked up by RAW in 2013 end. Ever since I have been directing various activities in Balochistan and Karachi at the behest of RAW and deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi, I was basically the man for Mr Ani Kumar Gupta who is the joint secretary of RAW and his contacts in Pakistan especially in Balochistan Student Organisation."