Pak 'processing' visa applications of Jadhav's wife, mother

Islamabad: Pakistan today said the visa applications of Kulbhushan Jadhav’s wife and mother had been received and were being “processed”, days after it again rejected India’s plea for consular access to the death row prisoner. Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal confirmed in a tweet that Jadhav’s family had applied for visas.

“Visa applications of mother and wife of Commander Jadhav received for their visit on humanitarian grounds,” Faisal tweeted. He further said the applications were “being processed” but did not give any time line for approval of visas.

On Wednesday, Pakistan had rejected India’s plea for consular access to Jadhav at the ICJ, claiming that New Delhi wants the access to get the information gathered by its “spy”. In its counter-memorial submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Pakistan said the provision of such an access under the Vienna Convention is only for legitimate visitors and not for spies, a media report said.

Pakistan said that Jadhav is not an ordinary person as he had entered the country with the intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities. Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the ICJ in May. The ICJ halted his execution on India’s appeal pending the final verdict by it.

Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel from its restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Earlier, Pakistan had agreed to facilitate a meeting of Jadhav with his mother and wife in Islamabad on December 25. It also agreed to India’s demand that they be accompanied by an official of the Indian High Commission here. On Thursday, Pakistan directed its High Commission in New Delhi to issue visas to Jadhav’s wife and mother.