This refers to the editorial, “Fake emotion” (December 27). Though the family of Kulbhushan Jadhav must have heaved a sigh of relief on seeing their beloved one, the meeting proved beyond doubt Pakistan's status as a country of contradictions. Not allowing one-on-one between Jadhav and family members and reducing the Indian high commissioner to a mere spectator were unwanted. Denying consular access to Jadhav is in sharp contradiction to Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif's unequivocal confirmation to media that his country would allow Jadhav to have one. Pakistan has used Jadhav as somebody to cling on to in its endeavour to score brownie points against India. It is still smarting from the sound drubbing it received at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.
Hence, the so-called ‘humanitarian gesture’ does not transcend beyond a political ploy to appease the ICJ. Pakistan declared Jadhav “hale and hearty” through a medical report but couple of pictures speak otherwise. However, it is important for India to remain unruffled to convince the ICJ to set Jadhav free. Rumour mills have gone overboard on the Pakistan spokesperson's averment that “the meeting between Jadhav and the family would not be the last one”. Does that mean Pakistan has already accepted defeat at the ICJIJ Or will it disobey the ICJ's final verdictIJ Can Islamabad really ignore an adverse judgementIJ The Indian Government should keep its cards close to its chest even as the country's people are waiting with bated breath.