Kulbhushan Jadhav’s wife, mother to meet him in Pakistan on Dec 25

The wife and mother of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on death row in Pakistan, will meet the prisoner at the country’s foreign office, officials in Islamabad have confirmed. The statement came a day after India shared details of their travel plans with Pakistan.

According to the Foreign Office, the two women will arrive in Pakistan by commercial flight and leave the country the same day. It is not clear whether the family members will leave on a commercial flight or by a chartered plane.

India’s deputy high commissioner JP Singh will accompany them during the meeting. Officers of the Foreign Office will also be present.

“India informs that the mother and wife of Commander Jadhav will arrive by commercial flight on 25 Dec and leave the same day. Indian DHC in Islamabad will be the accompanying diplomat,” Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal tweeted on Saturday night.

In preparation for the meeting, Pakistan has deployed security and traffic personnel within and outside the Foreign Office building, located near the Parliament. The meeting will last between 15 minutes to an hour, diplomatic sources said. They said Jadhav’s mother and wife would be allowed to speak to media representatives if they so desire.

This meeting between Jadhav and his family members will not be the last, officials have said.

Earlier, Pakistan offered a meeting between Jadhav and his wife on “humanitarian grounds”. India accepted the offer, on condition that his mother and an Indian diplomat be allowed to accompany her. After extensive deliberations, the Indian request was allowed and December 25 was proposed as the meeting date.

The Pakistani high commission in New Delhi issued visas to Jadhav’s wife and mother earlier this week.

Pakistan reportedly gave India until Friday night to provide the requisite information about the family members’ visit, warning that any more delays would result in the deferment or cancellation of the meeting.

Pakistan had earlier repeatedly rejected India’s plea for consular access to Jadhav, who it says was arrested in Balochistan. India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the navy.