Brilliant script, powerful performances by the actors and some active word of mouth has resulted in Raazi inching closer to Rs 90 crore mark at the box office.

Currently running in its second week since the release, the film is raking in good numbers even though there is tough competition from the recently released Deadpool 2 and limelight hogger Avengers: Infinity War.&nbsp;

Meghna Gulzar’s film managed to rake in Rs 3.15 crore yesterday and with it stands at a grand total of Rs 88.48 crore. Raazi is expected to enter the Rs 100 crore club by the end of its third weekend at the box office if it continues to perform at this pace.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Raazi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Raazi</a> will start its momentous journey to ₹ ? cr Club from Week 3... The SOLID TRENDING on weekdays proves it has stamina to score, till <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Race3?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Race3</a> arrives... [Week 2] Fri 4.75 cr, Sat 7.54 cr, Sun 9.45 cr, Mon 3.70 cr, Tue 3.30 cr, Wed 3.15 cr. Total: ₹ 88.48 cr. India biz.
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/taran_adarsh/status/999529621933641728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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With Raazi, Alia Bhatt makes a hat-trick of Rs 100 crore film after 2 States and Badrinath Ki Dulhania that were massive commercial successes. The film also stars Vicky Kaushal, Soni Razdan, Rajit Kapoor, Shishir Sharma, Amruta Khanvilkar and Jaideep Ahlawat in pivotal roles.

It is based on Harinder Sikka’s novel Calling Sehmat. The story of the film Raazi revolves around a young Kashmiri girl who gets married to a Pakistani Army officer and becomes a spy to give inside information about the neighbouring country to protect her own.

In addition to the numbers, the film also brought real-life mother-daughter Alia Bhatt and Soni Razdan on the big screen. Talking about working with her mother, Alia said, “I don’t get enough time to spend with my mother. It gets really difficult for me to take out time for her and I feel really bad about that. With ‘Raazi’, I have managed to get to spend eight days straight with her because I was working with her and she is playing the role of my mother in the film as well.”

Raazi is currently running in its second week since release

Brilliant script, powerful performances by the actors and some active word of mouth has resulted in Raazi inching closer to Rs 90 crore mark at the box office. Currently running in its second week since the release, the film is raking in good numbers even though there is tough competition from the recently released Deadpool 2 and limelight hogger Avengers: Infinity War. Meghna Gulzar’s film managed to rake in Rs 3.15 crore yesterday and with it stands at a grand total of Rs 88.48 crore. Raazi is expected to enter the Rs 100 crore club by the end of its third weekend at the box office if it continues to perform at this pace. #Raazi will start its momentous journey to ₹ ? cr Club from Week 3... The SOLID TRENDING on weekdays proves it has stamina to score, till #Race3 arrives... [Week 2] Fri 4.75 cr, Sat 7.54 cr, Sun 9.45 cr, Mon 3.70 cr, Tue 3.30 cr, Wed 3.15 cr. Total: ₹ 88.48 cr. India biz. — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) May 24, 2018 × With Raazi, Alia Bhatt makes a hat-trick of Rs 100 crore film after 2 States and Badrinath Ki Dulhania that were massive commercial successes. The film also stars Vicky Kaushal, Soni Razdan, Rajit Kapoor, Shishir Sharma, Amruta Khanvilkar and Jaideep Ahlawat in pivotal roles. It is based on Harinder Sikka’s novel Calling Sehmat. The story of the film Raazi revolves around a young Kashmiri girl who gets married to a Pakistani Army officer and becomes a spy to give inside information about the neighbouring country to protect her own. In addition to the numbers, the film also brought real-life mother-daughter Alia Bhatt and Soni Razdan on the big screen. Talking about working with her mother, Alia said, “I don’t get enough time to spend with my mother. It gets really difficult for me to take out time for her and I feel really bad about that. With ‘Raazi’, I have managed to get to spend eight days straight with her because I was working with her and she is playing the role of my mother in the film as well.”

'Raazi' box office: Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal's film moves closer to Rs 90 crore mark

Alia Bhatt, with her choice of movies and performances all these years has proven herself to be a versatile actress of great calibre. Promoting her soon-to-release film Raazi in which she plays an Indian spy, Alia was seen in a jovial mood.&nbsp;

The title track of the film released today establishing Alia’s character -- that intense, powerful and quite gripping. The song traces the journey of Sehmat, an Indian girl who gets married to a Pakistani officer with an aim to leak information to Indian counterparts. She eavesdrops on conservation, converses in Morse code and fires bullets without so much as a flinch.&nbsp;

The song sung by Arijit Singh is composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy as the lyrics are penned by Gulzar.

Apart from Alia, the film also stars Vicky Kaushal, Amruta Khanvilkar, Rajit Kapoor, Shishir Sharma, Jaideep Ahlawat, Ashwath Bhatt and Soni Razdan in pivotal roles. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, Raazi is produced by Vineet Jain, Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar & Apoorva Mehta.&nbsp;

Talking about challenges while shooting for Raazi, Alia said, "Learning to drive the jeep and all those things were technical things. But the real challenge was to play the character. These things are there just to pad up the character, so it makes my life a little easier. But these are not what I can depend on to make my character outstanding." 
&nbsp; 
Raazi is slated to release on May 11, 2018.

Watch the song:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/59mSWKsw-S0" width="970"></iframe>

&nbsp;

The song follows the transition of a simple, young Indian girl to a spy after getting married to a Pakistani officer.

Alia Bhatt, with her choice of movies and performances all these years has proven herself to be a versatile actress of great calibre. Promoting her soon-to-release film Raazi in which she plays an Indian spy, Alia was seen in a jovial mood. The title track of the film released today establishing Alia’s character -- that intense, powerful and quite gripping. The song traces the journey of Sehmat, an Indian girl who gets married to a Pakistani officer with an aim to leak information to Indian counterparts. She eavesdrops on conservation, converses in Morse code and fires bullets without so much as a flinch. The song sung by Arijit Singh is composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy as the lyrics are penned by Gulzar. Apart from Alia, the film also stars Vicky Kaushal, Amruta Khanvilkar, Rajit Kapoor, Shishir Sharma, Jaideep Ahlawat, Ashwath Bhatt and Soni Razdan in pivotal roles. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, Raazi is produced by Vineet Jain, Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar & Apoorva Mehta. Talking about challenges while shooting for Raazi, Alia said, "Learning to drive the jeep and all those things were technical things. But the real challenge was to play the character. These things are there just to pad up the character, so it makes my life a little easier. But these are not what I can depend on to make my character outstanding." Raazi is slated to release on May 11, 2018. Watch the song:

'Raazi' title track released: Alia Bhatt as an Indian spy is inspiring!

Pakistan government has come up with strange explanations for confiscating Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s wife&#39;s shoes during the monitored meeting, claiming that&nbsp;&quot;there was something in her shoes&quot;.

&ldquo;There was something in the shoe [of Jadhav&#39;s wife],&rdquo; Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal told Pakistan daily Dawn News on Tuesday.

Her shoes had been removed due to security reasons and are currently being examined - she was given a replacement pair in exchange.

Jadhav&#39;s wife, Chetnakul, stated that she had received all stuff except the shoes after meeting her husband on Monday.&nbsp;

India&#39;s&nbsp;Ministry of External Affairs&#39; had earlier released a&nbsp;statement&nbsp;on Jadhav&#39;s meeting with his mother and wife.

&ldquo;Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security,&rdquo; stated the Ministry of External Affairs&#39;statement&nbsp;

&ldquo;For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard,&rdquo; it further mentioned. 
&nbsp; 
The mother and wife of convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav visited Pakistan on Monday and met the arrested Indian national at the office of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad surrounded by heavy security. 
&nbsp;

Her shoes are currently being examined, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal added

Pakistan government has come up with strange explanations for confiscating Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife's shoes during the monitored meeting, claiming that "there was something in her shoes". “There was something in the shoe [of Jadhav's wife],” Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal told Pakistan daily Dawn News on Tuesday. Her shoes had been removed due to security reasons and are currently being examined - she was given a replacement pair in exchange. Jadhav's wife, Chetnakul, stated that she had received all stuff except the shoes after meeting her husband on Monday. India's Ministry of External Affairs' had earlier released a statement on Jadhav's meeting with his mother and wife. “Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security,” stated the Ministry of External Affairs'statement “For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard,” it further mentioned. The mother and wife of convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav visited Pakistan on Monday and met the arrested Indian national at the office of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad surrounded by heavy security.

'There was something in them': Pakistan's answer to why Jadhav's wife's shoes were taken

Pakistan has apprehended three suspected Indian spies in Pakistan&#39;s Kashmir on Saturday, days after another spy believed to be working for India&#39;s primary foreign intelligence agency was awarded a death sentence for espionage activities by a Pakistani military court.

The arrests come hours after India called off talks involving maritime security issues with Pakistan, in a further blow to the strained bilateral relations.

Indian media reports suggest three people allegedly working with India&#39;s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) were rounded up by the police in Rawalkot, Poonch district, for carrying out anti-state activities.

Mohammad Khalil, Imtiaz, and Rashid, all from Taroti village in Abbaspur -- a small town located near the de-facto border separating India and Pakistan -- were arrested for allegedly bombing a police station in Pakistan&#39;s Kashmir.

Pakistani officials said the trio was apparently targeting the &quot;China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)&quot; -- a $62 billion project undertaken by China to improve Pakistan&#39;s infrastructure.

The three men have been booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act and Explosives Act and will be produced before Pakistan&#39;s anti-terrorism court.

Pakistan said they were involved with three Indian army and RAW officers -- Major Ranjeet, Major Sultan and an unnamed officer, police told Pakistan-based Geo News.

Diplomatic brinkmanship over spy&#39;s death sentence

The India-Pakistan relations hit a new low when a Pakistani military court condemned a suspected Indian spy to death sentence for attempting to foment unrest in Pakistan&#39;s restive Balochistan province.

New Delhi reacted strongly to the verdict, calling the trial &quot;farcical&quot; and labeling the military court&#39;s injunction as &quot;premeditated murder&quot;.

While Pakistan maintain that Jadhav was given a fair trial and was subsequently found to have been a RAW asset, India say he was a former naval officer and had no links to the establishment anymore.

New Delhi also believe that Jadhav might have been abducted by Pakistan from Iran.

India has accused Pakistan of not getting consular access to Jadhav, despite having sent 14 such requests -- the most recent being on Friday.

But Pakistan hit back by saying that Jadhav carried two passports, one with a Hindu name and the other bearing a Muslim name.

Maritime security talks called off

Earlier on Saturday (April 15), India marked its protest against the verdict by suspending maritime talks with Pakistan.&nbsp;

A delegation from Pakistan&nbsp;led by its Maritime Security Agency (MSA) was to visit New Delhi April 16-19 to discuss issues related to the frequent arrests of fishermen transgressing maritime borders.

Unnamed sources in India&#39;s Coast Guard said the Ministry of Defence has not given clearance for the delegation&#39;s visit, according to Press Trust of India.

(WION)

&nbsp;

The incarcerations in Pakistan's Kashmir come days after a suspected Indian spy, Kulbhushan Jadhav, was sentenced to death for 'espionage'

Pakistan has apprehended three suspected Indian spies in Pakistan's Kashmir on Saturday, days after another spy believed to be working for India's primary foreign intelligence agency was awarded a death sentence for espionage activities by a Pakistani military court. The arrests come hours after India called off talks involving maritime security issues with Pakistan, in a further blow to the strained bilateral relations. Indian media reports suggest three people allegedly working with India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) were rounded up by the police in Rawalkot, Poonch district, for carrying out anti-state activities. Mohammad Khalil, Imtiaz, and Rashid, all from Taroti village in Abbaspur -- a small town located near the de-facto border separating India and Pakistan -- were arrested for allegedly bombing a police station in Pakistan's Kashmir. Pakistani officials said the trio was apparently targeting the "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)" -- a $62 billion project undertaken by China to improve Pakistan's infrastructure. The three men have been booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act and Explosives Act and will be produced before Pakistan's anti-terrorism court. Pakistan said they were involved with three Indian army and RAW officers -- Major Ranjeet, Major Sultan and an unnamed officer, police told Pakistan-based Geo News. Diplomatic brinkmanship over spy's death sentence The India-Pakistan relations hit a new low when a Pakistani military court condemned a suspected Indian spy to death sentence for attempting to foment unrest in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province. New Delhi reacted strongly to the verdict, calling the trial "farcical" and labeling the military court's injunction as "premeditated murder". While Pakistan maintain that Jadhav was given a fair trial and was subsequently found to have been a RAW asset, India say he was a former naval officer and had no links to the establishment anymore. New Delhi also believe that Jadhav might have been abducted by Pakistan from Iran. India has accused Pakistan of not getting consular access to Jadhav, despite having sent 14 such requests -- the most recent being on Friday. But Pakistan hit back by saying that Jadhav carried two passports, one with a Hindu name and the other bearing a Muslim name. Maritime security talks called off Earlier on Saturday (April 15), India marked its protest against the verdict by suspending maritime talks with Pakistan. A delegation from Pakistan led by its Maritime Security Agency (MSA) was to visit New Delhi April 16-19 to discuss issues related to the frequent arrests of fishermen transgressing maritime borders. Unnamed sources in India's Coast Guard said the Ministry of Defence has not given clearance for the delegation's visit, according to Press Trust of India. (WION)

Spy row gets murkier as Pakistan arrests three more Indian 'agents'

Pakistan&nbsp;defence minister&nbsp;Khawaja Muhammad Asif, speaking in Parliament on Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s death sentence, reiterated his country&#39;s hardline stand on the issue. He openly hit back at Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj&#39;s statement in Parliament, and declared, &quot;Pakistan is strong enough to defend itself. The desire for peace should not be seen as a weakness.&quot;

&quot;We have 80,000 troops stationed along the LoC (Line of Control),&quot; he stated in Pakistan Parliament.

Meanwhile, Opposition parties in India raised the issue of Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan, on charges of being a spy.

As parliamentarians from different political parties condemned Pakistan&#39;s move, &quot;Save Kulbhushan&quot; was the sentiment that echoed in Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Indian Parliament.&nbsp;Swaraj&nbsp;warned&nbsp;Pakistan of consequences on diplomatic relations if the latter carries out the death sentence on Jadhav.

&quot;There is no evidence of wrongdoing by Jadhav. If anything, he is the victim of a plan that seeks to cast aspersions on India to deflect international attention from Pakistan&#39;s well-known record of sponsoring and supporting terrorism,&quot; Sushma Swaraj said in a&nbsp;statement in both Houses of Parliament. 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&quot;Under these circumstances, we have no choice but to regard the sentence, if carried out, as an act of pre-meditated murder,&quot; she said, adding that the sentence by the Pakistani military court was based on &quot;concocted charges&quot;.

&quot;Let me state clearly that the government and the people of India would view very seriously the possibility that an innocent Indian citizen is facing a death sentence in Pakistan without due process and in violation of basic norms of law, justice and international relations. 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&quot;I would caution the Pakistan government to consider the consequences for our bilateral relationship if they proceed on this matter,&quot; Swaraj said.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a> LIVE: EAM Sushma Swaraj speaking in Rajya Sabha on death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav <a href="https://t.co/BkC6ws2kws">https://t.co/BkC6ws2kws</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/851681759028695040">April 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Replying to a suggestion by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Swaraj said the government will not only ensure that Jadhav is provided with the best of lawyers in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, but will take up it with the President of Pakistan also. 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&quot;Whatever is necessary, we will do,&quot; she said, adding that Jadhav was &quot;not only the son of his parents, but is the son of India.&quot; 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
Swaraj said Jadhav was doing business in Iran and was abducted and taken to Pakistan. &quot;The exact circumstances are unclear and can only be ascertained if we have consular access to him&quot;, which has been denied by the Pakistani authorities. 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&quot;It is extraordinary that yesterday, a decision is suddenly announced awarding a death sentence in this case when previous exchanges with India itself underlines the insufficiency of evidence,&quot; she said. 
 
Indian interior minister Rajnath Singh questioned Pakistan&#39;s allegations of Jadhav being a spy and said he had a valid Indian visa.&nbsp;

&quot;Indian Government will do whatever possible for Kulbhushan Jadhav... want to assure all that justice will be done with him,&quot; Singh said.&nbsp;

Early today,&nbsp;Congress called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and secure Jadhav&#39;s release.

&quot;Death sentence is a deliberate provocation to India. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government needs to travel beyond advisories. PM must intervene to secure his release,&quot; senior Congress leader and party spokesperson Randeep S Surjewala&nbsp;said on Twitter.&nbsp;

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2/3 Death sentence is a deliberate provocation to India. BJP Govt needs to travel beyond advisories. PM must intervene to secure his release
&mdash; Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) <a href="https://twitter.com/rssurjewala/status/851642157723267072">April 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Hours after Pakistan announced that&nbsp;Jadhav, who was arrested in March 2016, has been <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-military-court-sentences-spy-kulbhushan-jadhav-to-death-india-calls-it-a-farce-14382">sentenced to death</a>, India&nbsp;on Monday halted the release of 12 Pakistani prisoners who were scheduled to be repatriated on Wednesday after the completion of their prison term.

Officials&nbsp;told news agency&nbsp;PTI that the Indian government feels it is not the right time for the release of the Pakistani prisoners.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a military court for &quot;his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan&quot;, Pakistan&nbsp;media reported quoting Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military&#39;s media wing.

&quot;The spy has been tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under Pakistan Army Act and awarded death sentence,&quot; the ISPR said in a statement.

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed his death sentence, the statement added.

India on Monday also summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and issued a demarche for awarding the death sentence to Jadhav.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was not&nbsp;informed about Jadhav&#39;s trial.

Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran last year and according to MEA his presence in Pakistan has never been explained credibly by the Pakistani authorities.

&quot;If this sentence against an Indian citizen, awarded without observing basic norms of law and justice, is carried out, the Government and people of India will regard it as a case of premeditated murder,&quot; a statement from MEA read.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Protest near Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi against death sentence given to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KulbhushanJadhav?src=hash">#KulbhushanJadhav</a> <a href="https://t.co/oa9w0iJJ5i">pic.twitter.com/oa9w0iJJ5i</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/851680580479492096">April 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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(WION with inputs from DNA and&nbsp;PTI)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Sushma Swaraj has warned Pakistan of 'consequences on diplomatic relations' if Jadhav's death sentence is carried out

Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, speaking in Parliament on Kulbhushan Jadhav's death sentence, reiterated his country's hardline stand on the issue. He openly hit back at Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj's statement in Parliament, and declared, "Pakistan is strong enough to defend itself. The desire for peace should not be seen as a weakness." "We have 80,000 troops stationed along the LoC (Line of Control)," he stated in Pakistan Parliament. Meanwhile, Opposition parties in India raised the issue of Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan, on charges of being a spy. As parliamentarians from different political parties condemned Pakistan's move, "Save Kulbhushan" was the sentiment that echoed in Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Indian Parliament. Swaraj warned Pakistan of consequences on diplomatic relations if the latter carries out the death sentence on Jadhav. "There is no evidence of wrongdoing by Jadhav. If anything, he is the victim of a plan that seeks to cast aspersions on India to deflect international attention from Pakistan's well-known record of sponsoring and supporting terrorism," Sushma Swaraj said in a statement in both Houses of Parliament. "Under these circumstances, we have no choice but to regard the sentence, if carried out, as an act of pre-meditated murder," she said, adding that the sentence by the Pakistani military court was based on "concocted charges". "Let me state clearly that the government and the people of India would view very seriously the possibility that an innocent Indian citizen is facing a death sentence in Pakistan without due process and in violation of basic norms of law, justice and international relations. "I would caution the Pakistan government to consider the consequences for our bilateral relationship if they proceed on this matter," Swaraj said. #WATCH LIVE: EAM Sushma Swaraj speaking in Rajya Sabha on death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav https://t.co/BkC6ws2kws — ANI (@ANI_news) April 11, 2017 × Replying to a suggestion by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Swaraj said the government will not only ensure that Jadhav is provided with the best of lawyers in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, but will take up it with the President of Pakistan also. "Whatever is necessary, we will do," she said, adding that Jadhav was "not only the son of his parents, but is the son of India." Swaraj said Jadhav was doing business in Iran and was abducted and taken to Pakistan. "The exact circumstances are unclear and can only be ascertained if we have consular access to him", which has been denied by the Pakistani authorities. "It is extraordinary that yesterday, a decision is suddenly announced awarding a death sentence in this case when previous exchanges with India itself underlines the insufficiency of evidence," she said. Indian interior minister Rajnath Singh questioned Pakistan's allegations of Jadhav being a spy and said he had a valid Indian visa. "Indian Government will do whatever possible for Kulbhushan Jadhav... want to assure all that justice will be done with him," Singh said. Early today, Congress called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and secure Jadhav's release. "Death sentence is a deliberate provocation to India. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government needs to travel beyond advisories. PM must intervene to secure his release," senior Congress leader and party spokesperson Randeep S Surjewala said on Twitter. 2/3 Death sentence is a deliberate provocation to India. BJP Govt needs to travel beyond advisories. PM must intervene to secure his release — Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 11, 2017 × Hours after Pakistan announced that Jadhav, who was arrested in March 2016, has been sentenced to death, India on Monday halted the release of 12 Pakistani prisoners who were scheduled to be repatriated on Wednesday after the completion of their prison term. Officials told news agency PTI that the Indian government feels it is not the right time for the release of the Pakistani prisoners. Jadhav was sentenced to death by a military court for "his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan", Pakistan media reported quoting Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing. "The spy has been tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under Pakistan Army Act and awarded death sentence," the ISPR said in a statement. Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed his death sentence, the statement added. India on Monday also summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and issued a demarche for awarding the death sentence to Jadhav. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was not informed about Jadhav's trial. Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran last year and according to MEA his presence in Pakistan has never been explained credibly by the Pakistani authorities. "If this sentence against an Indian citizen, awarded without observing basic norms of law and justice, is carried out, the Government and people of India will regard it as a case of premeditated murder," a statement from MEA read. Protest near Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi against death sentence given to #KulbhushanJadhav pic.twitter.com/oa9w0iJJ5i — ANI (@ANI_news) April 11, 2017 × (WION with inputs from DNA and PTI)

Kulbhushan Jadhav row: After Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj's statement, Pakistan defence minister says it's 'strong enough to defend itself'

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'Raazi' box office: Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal's film moves closer to Rs 90 crore mark

'Raazi' title track released: Alia Bhatt as an Indian spy is inspiring!

'There was something in them': Pakistan's answer to why Jadhav's wife's shoes were taken

Spy row gets murkier as Pakistan arrests three more Indian 'agents'

Kulbhushan Jadhav row: After Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj's statement, Pakistan defence minister says it's 'strong enough to defend itself'