death sentence

Indian Navy officer Jadhav

called off talks with Pakistan

Amid Kulbhushan Jadhav row, Pakistan arrests '3 RAW spies targeting CPEC'

NEW DELHI: Even as Indo-Pak relations are on the boil over theto Kulbhushan Jadhav , Pakistan yesterday said it arrested three suspected Indian spies who were allegedly targeting "Chinese engineers, sensitive installations and (the) China Pakistan Economic Corridor ", The Express Tribune reported today."We have arrested three terrorists - Khalil, Imtiaz, and Rashid. All three individuals were paid agents of the Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing RAW )," police told another Pakistani news outlet Geo News.Police claimed RAW "assigned them (the 3 suspects) new targets such as the Combined Military Hospital Rawalakot, CPEC projects, Chinese engineers and sensitive installations in Azad Kashmir."The three men were booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act and Explosives Act and will be produced before Pakistan's anti-terrorism court."The terrorists disclosed that Indian army officers and RAW officers Major Ranjeet, Major Sultan, and another officer were in touch with the arrested individuals," police said.The arrested men crossed the Line of Control several times to attend meetings with the Indian Army and RAW officers regarding potential targets, police said. They are also accused of a bomb blast in Abbaspur last year.Formerwas earlier this week sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court which ruled that he was an Indian spy.India reiterated that Jadhav isn't a spy, that his treatment by Pakistan violated the Geneva Convention and that the death sentence is essentially "premeditated murder."In retaliation for the sentence on Jadhav, India yesterdayon maritime security which were scheduled for April 17. The defence ministry decided that it wasn't the time to discuss security with Pakistan when, defying all international norms, the neighbouring country had awarded the death sentence to Jadhav.The only engagement that the two countries have had until now this year has come in the form of Indus Water Commission talks for which an Indian delegation visited Islamabad.