Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet mother, wife on December 25: FO

ISLAMABAD:  Indian authorities have informed Pakistan that wife and mother of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav will arrive on Monday, December 25, to meet the former Indian Navy Officer, Foreign Office announced on Saturday.

“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 Dr Mohammad Faisal wrote on Twitter.

Back in November, Pakistan offered India a meeting between Jadhav and his wife on “humanitarian grounds” but India, in its reply asked Pakistan to allow Jadhav’s mother to travel with his wife and a diplomat should accompany the two during the meeting.

‘India has been unable to provide an explanation for Jadhav’s passport which bears a Muslim name‘

“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. We have also sought sovereign guarantees from the Government of Pakistan to ensure the safety, security and wellbeing of the wife and mother of Mr. 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,” Indian Ministry of External Affairs  spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said.

Till then, Pakistan had denied consular access to Jadhav despite India’s repeated requests stating that he is a spy. As India took the case to International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May, Pakistan even told the UN court that “Pakistan doesn’t see the merit in a state which sends a spy and is seeking access to a tool for terror”.

WHO IS KULBHUSHAN JADHAV

Pakistani security agencies on March 24, 2016 apprehended an ‘on-duty RAW agent’ from Balochistan. The suspect was said to be an officer of the Indian navy working for the covert agency to destabilize Pakistan.

The operative had contacts with banned organizations and was working on plans to break Karachi and Balochistan away from Pakistan, and to sabotage the billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

On March 25, a day after the arrest, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said the Indian man arrested from Balochistan has no connection with the government, however, admitted that Kulbhushan Yadav is a former officer of the Indian navy.

“He (Jadhav) acquired premature retirement from the Indian navy and since then the government has nothing to do with him,” said Vikas Swarup, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, requesting Pakistan to grant counsellor access to the ‘arrested Indian citizen’.

On April 10, COAS, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed his death sentence awarded by Field General Court Martial (FGCM).

The spy was tried through (FGCM) under Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded death sentence.

Jadhav was tried by FGCM under section 59 of Pakistan Army Act (PAA) 1952 and Section 3 of official Secret Act of 1923. FGCM found Kulbushan Sudhir Yadhav guilty of all the charges.

He confessed before a Magistrate and the Court that he was tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organize espionage / sabotage activities aiming to destabilize and wage war against Pakistan by impeding the efforts of Law Enforcement Agencies for restoring peace in Balochistan and Karachi.