Jadhav’s family arrives in Islamabad amid Pak’s flip-flop on consular access
Mangalore Today News Network
NEW DELHI, Dec 25, 2017: Hours after reports claimed that Pakistan had granted India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, Pakistan media quoted country’s foreign office as saying that there was no such move by the government.
Earlier, Pakistan-based Geo News had quoted Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Asif as saying that the country had granted India consular access to the Indian jailed in the neighbouring country.
Meanwhile, Jadhav’s mother and wife have reached Pakistan Foreign Affairs Ministry’s office in Islamabad. They will be briefly uniting with him, following which they will return to India on the same day.
India’s Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan JP Singh is also accompanying Jhadav’s wife and mother.
Pakistan on December 8, had granted permission to Jadhav’s mother and wife to meet him and on December 20, the neighbouring country had issued the visa to Jadhav’s wife and mother.
Pakistan has repeatedly denied India consular access to Jadhav on the ground that it was not applicable in cases related to spies. It said that Jadhav is not an ordinary person as he had entered the country with the intent of ’spying’ and carrying out ’sabotage’ activities.
Kulbhushan Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of ’espionage’ and ’terrorism’ in April this year. Following this, India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.
The ICJ halted his execution on India’s appeal pending the final verdict by it.
Pakistan had earlier said that Jadhav was not under any threat of immediate execution.
Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel from restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.
India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.
Jadhav had filed an appeal with the Army chief to seek clemency, which is still pending.
After India approached the ICJ, a 10-member bench on May 18 restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case. Jadhav’s sentencing had evoked a sharp reaction in India.
In its application, India had also informed the ICJ that it learnt about the death sentence against Jadhav from a press release.
India acknowledges that Jadhav had served in the Indian Navy but denies that he has any connection with the government.
India has also handed over to Pakistan an appeal by Jadhav’s mother, initiating a process to get his conviction overturned.
India has warned Pakistan of consequences and damage to bilateral ties if the "premeditated murder" was carried out.
In June 2017, India had dismissed as "farcical" Pakistan releasing a fresh "confessional video" of Jadhav and had said that "manufactured facts" could not alter the reality in the case.
In a strong reaction, the External Affairs Ministry said India expects Pakistan to desist from attempting to influence the proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case through false propaganda.
Courtesy: Zeenews