After denying access to former Indian Navy official Kulbhushan Jadhav for nearly two years now, Pakistan on Friday finally allowed Jadhav’s wife to meet him on “humanitarian grounds”.
"The Government of Pakistan has decided to arrange a meeting of Commander Kulbhushan Jhadav with his wife, in Pakistan, purely on humanitarian grounds. A Note Verbale to this effect has been sent to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, today," Pakistan Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
It is learnt that the time frame allowing the meeting between Jadhav and his wife has been given around end of December. Sources in the Pakistan Government said that the access to Jadhav's wife has been given keeping in view India's requests for meeting.
Incidentally, the Pakistan’s decision comes days before it has to file a reply in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) where India has complained that Jadhav was denied Consular Access under the Vienna Convention despite repeated requests. Pakistan has to file its reply to the ICJ by December 13.
India has in the last 21 months requested at least 18 times for Consular Access to Jadhav. The ICJ had in May this year stayed the execution of Jadhav, who was awarded death penalty by the Pakistan military court. India's Consular Access request to Jadhav is still pending.
In addition External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had written to the former Pakistan Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaz Aziz requesting him to allow visa to Jadhav’s mother to facilitate her meeting with her son and file an appeal against the death sentence. Pakistan, however, remained silent over Swaraj's letter.
Pakistan’s statement on Friday added: “Commander Kulbushan Jhadav alias, Hussain Mubarak Patel, a serving Commander of the Indian Navy, working with Indian Intelligence Agency/RAW was apprehended by Pakistan law enforcement agencies on March 3, 2016 after he illegally crossed over into Pakistan. He confessed before a Magistrate and the court that he was tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organise espionage, terrorist and sabotage activities aimed at destabilising and waging war against Pakistan.”
The Indian Government has strong objection to Jadhav being portrayed as a RAW spy. The Indian Government maintains that he was a businessman who was abducted by the Pakistan agencies.