AIR gets 100 to 400 'save Jadhav' messages from Pak listeners

The government-run All India Radio has received messages from its listeners in Pakistan against the move to execute Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, an official with the broadcaster’s external services division claimed on Thursday.

AIR has been broadcasting a number of programmes – such as news, press review, commentary and panel discussions -- highlighting the former Indian navy officer’s case to the radio listeners in Pakistan since the issue came to light.

“We are getting between 100 to 140 messages daily condemning the decision of the Pakistan military court,” an official with AIR’s external services division said.

A Pakistani military court has sentenced Jadhav to death in an alleged espionage case, nearly a year after he was arrested by security officials in Balochistan.

AIR broadcasts a number of programmes in various languages -- including Urdu, Balochi, Pashto, Punjabi, Sindhi and Saraiki -- in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

• Send Commander Jadhav your wishes

The official said the listeners of all the languages are sending messages through e-mails and WhatsApp to AIR.

“The gist of the messages are that the people are considering this act of Pakistan as unIslamic as punishing innocent is against the tenets of Islam. Travellers are given high regards in Islam,” the official added.

He said the messages also highlight the concerns of the listeners on “people to people contact and relation between the two countries” if Jadhav is executed.

AIR runs various programme to highlight India’s point of view on different issues through its network for listeners in Pakistan.

India has warned Pakistan to consider the “consequences” on their ties if Jadhav is hanged.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said that India will go “out of the way” to ensure justice to Jadhav who is an “innocent kidnapped Indian” and his execution will be taken as a “pre-meditated murder”.