ME News Bureau: Islamabad: Former Indian Navy officer who has been sentenced to death by Pakistan military court for ‘espionage’, Kulbhushan Jadhav, met his mother and wife on Monday. However, there was a glass screen barrier between them. The meeting lasted for approximately 30 minutes.
Jadhav has been in captivity since March 2016.
Avanti Jadhav and Chetankul Jadhav, Jadhav’s mother and wife respectively, landed in Islamabad via Dubai around Monday noon. Subsequently, they went to the Pakistan Foreign Affairs Ministry in Islamabad accompanied by Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh for the meeting.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistan Foreign Minister, on Sunday informed that his country has approved India consular access to Jadhav by allowing the presence of an Indian diplomat during the meeting with the family.
As JP Singh was accompanying Kulbhushan's family members for the meeting, it would be termed as "consular access", Asif said.
However, Mohammad Faisal, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson, said on Monday that India was not given consular access to Jadhav. Hel said that "presence of an official of Indian High Commission in the meeting was not consular access" as he would only see witness the meeting.
Previously, Faisal had stated that the decision to let Jadhav meet his family was taken on "humanitarian grounds".
Jadhav’s family members were scheduled to immediately travel back to India via Oman.
