Wife, mother to meet Kulbhushan Jadhav, ensure safety: India to Pakistan

Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer held on espionage charges, faces execution in Pakistan.

India on Thursday conveyed to Pakistan that Kulbhushan Jadhav’s mother and wife would like to meet him and they would be accompanied by an Indian diplomat.

Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer held on espionage charges, faces execution in Pakistan. On May 18, a 10-member International Court of Justice (ICJ) bench restrained Pakistan from executing him till it adjudicates on the case.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at the weekly briefing: “You are aware that there was a longstanding request from the mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav to visit Pakistan and meet her son. Although this request was pending, India still responded positively to the offer made by Pakistan to arrange meeting of Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife. In our response, we have conveyed that the wife of Mr. Jadhav would like to travel along with her mother-in-law for the meeting.” He added: “We have also sought sovereign guarantee from the Government of Pakistan to ensure the safety, security and well-being of the wife and the mother of Jadhav and that they shall not be questioned, harassed or interrogated during their visit and stay in Pakistan. We have further asked that a diplomat of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad shall be allowed to accompany them at all times, including during the meeting.”

The MEA spokesperson underlined that the “meeting offer does not absolve Pakistan of the violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and Human Rights and not following the due process in treating Jadhav who remains incarcerated in Pakistan and faces death sentence through a farcical process and on concocted charges.”

“While the government hopes that Pakistan would facilitate a visit by the wife and mother of Mr. Jadhav, we are determined to pursue all measures with full vigour so as to secure the final release of an innocent Indian.”

Last Saturday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry had said it had received a response from India on its offer to arrange a meeting between Jadhav and his family.