The mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on death row, met the Indian spy in the federal capital on Monday after Pakistan granted permission on humanitarian grounds, said South Punjab News.The meeting lasted for about 40 minutes and was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today where elaborate security arrangements were put in place.
Jadhav’s mother Avanti Jadhav and wife Chetankul Jadhav were accompanied by India’s Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh during their meeting. Dr Fareha Bugti represented Pakistan in the meeting.The duo arrived from India at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport via flight EK-612 earlier today and are expected to catch a flight back to India later today.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said Pakistan permitted the convicted Indian spy to meet his family members on humanitarian grounds on the day of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’ birth.The spokesperson for the FO Dr Mohammad Faisal, on Monday, also clarified that Pakistan has not given any consular access to Jadhav.
According to Express News, Dr Faisal said, “The presence of JP Singh in the meeting of the Indian spy with his family members should not be considered consular access.”
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, on Sunday, however, had said Pakistan could allow India consular access to convicted spy Jadhav while adding that India would not have done the same if Pakistan was in a similar position.
In an interview, the minister had said Jadhav’s case was being heard by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and Pakistan did not want India to create an impression that he was being denied access to his family.
Kulbhushan Jadhav: The story so far
The Indian spy was arrested in March 2016 by Pakistani security forces from Balochistan. A few days later, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) released his recorded statement in which he confessed to working for RAW to foment violence in Pakistan, Balochistan in particular.
Later in April, he was given the death sentence by a military tribunal on charges of espionage and his involvement in subversive and terrorist activities. His mercy petition is still pending before the army chief.
India, disputing Pakistan’s claim that Jadhav was a spy, went to the ICJ that stayed his execution till its final verdict. Pakistan also contested Indian claims before the ICJ in a recent reply submitted before The Hague-based court. Islamabad presents Jadhav’s case as living proof of RAW’s involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan.
No consular access to Jadhav
Pakistan has issued visas to Jadhav's wife and mother on "humanitarian grounds", and has consistently denied consular access to him, as the Vienna Convention does not apply to those involved in espionage, FO Spokesperson Dr Faisal told South Punjab News.
"The presence of JP Singh in today’s meeting should not be considered as consular access," Dr Faisal said.
Indian media, however, reported that the meeting between Jadhav and his family members constitutes as "consular access" after Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on a Geo News talk show had said that the meeting is a "concession".
Times of India cited Asif as saying that the reason the meeting is taking place is because Pakistan didn't want India to create the impression that Jadhav was denied access to his family, especially since the spy's case is currently being heard at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
ToI quoted Asif as saying: "We didn't want any weakness in our case in the ICJ over the meeting... We have allowed access to Jadhav's family purely on a humanitarian basis. However, if we were in the same place, India wouldn't have been so kind to us."
Officials said all arrangements are in place for the meeting between Jadhav and his wife and mother, and sharpshooters were deployed at the sprawling FO building ahead of the meeting.
Last week, the FO Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal had said that if the Indian Ministry of External Affairs agreed, Jadhav's wife and mother may be allowed to address the media in Pakistan.
Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, was arrested in Pakistan on espionage charges.
He was captured by security forces on March 3, 2016, in Balochistan and sentenced to death by a military tribunal earlier this year for his involvement in terrorism and espionage.
His appeals against the conviction have been rejected by the military appellate court and his mercy petition has been lying with Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
India has challenged Pakistan’s refusal to grant consular access to the spy in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The ICJ is hearing the case and has restrained the Pakistan government from executing Jadhav until it decides the case.
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