Pak agrees to visa for Jadhav mother, wife
New Delhi,
In a significant development, Pakistan has accepted conditions put forth by India after Islamabad proposed a meeting between imprisoned Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav and his wife.
The former Indian Naval officer has been in jail in Pakistan since March 2016. He has been sentenced to death on charges of espionage and attempts to destabilise Balochistan. Islamabad accuses Jadhav of having an Iranian alias (Hussain Mubarak Patel) and of being a RAW agent.
But the road is now clear for diplomatic access to Jadhav Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said, “Pakistan has informed India that it is ready to allow the visit of the mother of Commander Jadhav, along with his wife. The visit should happen on December 25. A diplomat from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad will be allowed to accompany the visitors. Requisite security would be provided to them.”
India has accepted the offer. It is now working out modalities of the visit though the wife’s whereabouts remain wrapped in secrecy. In a series of tweets, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she had spoken to Jadhav’s mother Avantika about the development.
“Earlier, Pakistan had agreed to give visa only to Jadhav’s wife. We asked Pakistan to give visa to the mother as well. We also raised concerns about their safety and security in Pakistan. We had asked that an officer of the Indian High Commission should accompany them while they are in Pakistan. Pakistan has agreed to facilitate the visit of the mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav and assured us of their safety, security and freedom of movement in Pakistan,” Swaraj wrote.
Pakistan’s response comes ahead of the case hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Hague, next week. The court had ordered an interim stay on Jadhav’s death sentence this May and asked Pakistan to make its submission on December 13.
Raveesh Kumar, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, expressing optimism said, “We are happy that access has been granted.We look at it as a positive development.”
