JOIN USPak Army ex-officer's disappearance linked to Jadhav
The mysterious disappearance of a retired Pakistan Army officer from India-Nepal border has added a new dimension to the Pakistani military court’s death sentence to former Indian Navay officer Kulbhushan Jadhav.
Many speculate, especially the Pakistani media, that both the incidents are linked and it could be a retaliatory act by Pakistan following the disappearance of retired Lt Colonel Muhammad Habib from Lumbini, close to Indo-Nepal border, where he had gone for a job interview.
New Delhi has not reacted to the possibility of the link between both the incidents and is keeping mum over the issue. India has been maintaining that Jadhav is not an intelligence operative, but a businessman operating in Iran, a claim rejected by Pakistan.
The issue was first highlighed by Pakistani media, including influential papers like Dawn, which carried detailed reports about the disappearance of Habib, a former ISI officer, who handled terror networks operating from Indo-Nepal border. The Pakistani media is pointing fingers at the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
The timing of the court order, which some say was rushed through in hours, and the date of disappearance of Habib is the reason for many to speculate on the possible reason for Pakistan to act.
According to Pakistan media, Habib is untraceable since April 6 from Lumbini soon after his arrival there. His phones are not reachable since his call from Lumbini on April 6 afternoon. Habib is employed with a private firm after his retirement in 2014.
Dawn reported that one Mark Thompson had contacted him through email and telephone for a job interview in Nepal. After he reached Kathmandu, he left for Lumbini by air.
Referring to family and friends’ probe, the report said that Habib received a call from an UK number for the interview. However, the report said, it later turned out to be a computer-generated one while the email domain and associated website were registered in India.