Outgoing Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit on Saturday said that the military court would take a decision regarding alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has filed a mercy petition against his death sentence in the court.

"Kulbhushan Jadhav is convicted. There is a mercy petition filed and the Army court will take a decision," Basit, who had earlier maintained silence over the issue, told ANI.

When asked about the future of the downhill relations, the outgoing envoy said, "Never give up. Keep trying; things will get better." Jadhav was sentenced to death on April 10 this year after being accused of espionage and working for the India's external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).

He was arrested from Balochistan on March 3 last year.

He said a dialogue between India and Pakistan was a "pre-requisite" and a "necessity" to mend relations between the neighbours, which might require "give and take" from both sides.

"Both the countries need to decide that they need to be engaged...as was decided at Sharm El Sheikh, where we took a considered decision to separate talks from terrorism. We should not be hostage to forces that do not want progress," he said.