Jadhav has not been given consular access, clarifies Pak FO

Islamabad [Pakistan], Dec 25 (ANI): The Pakistan Foreign Office on Monday, in a statement, clarified that former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav was not given consular access.

Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal said the presence of Indian diplomat during the scheduled meeting between Jadhav and his family did not mean he was given Indian consular access, Geo News reported.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, during his earlier appearance on Geo News' programme 'Naya Pakistan', had said that India was given consular access to the convicted Jadhav, describing it as a "concession." He had added that Pakistan had allowed Jadhav's meeting with his mother and wife purely on "humanitarian grounds."

Meanwhile, after a long wait, the wife and the mother of Jadhav will meet him later today.

Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad JP Singh will accompany them, along with one or two officers of the FO, the Dawn reported.

Pakistan has deployed security and traffic personnel within and outside the FO in view of the meeting.

The meeting will last between 15 minutes to an hour and the two women will be allowed to speak to the media if they wish to, the Dawn said, citing diplomatic sources.

Pakistan issued visas to Jadhav's mother and wife on December 20 to meet him on humanitarian grounds.

Jadhav's family had applied for visas last week.

Pakistan has repeatedly rejected India's plea for consular access to Jadhav at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging he was not an ordinary person and had entered the country with an intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.

On December 13, Pakistan submitted its reply to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case dismissing India's stance on Jadhav.

The reply, which was submitted by the Foreign Office's Director (India), Fariha Bugti, also claimed that Jadhav's case does not fall under the purview of the Vienna Convention.

Pakistan's reply came after India had submitted its written response to registrar Philippe Couvreur of the ICJ in the same case in September this year.

Jadhav was arrested in March this year, in Balochistan, Pakistan, over charges of alleged involvement in espionage and subversive activities for India's intelligence agency - the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

On April 10, 2017, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan.

On May 18, 2017, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed the hanging, after India approached it against the death sentence. (ANI)