Reviewing visa request of Jhadav’s mother: FO

Says investigation is ongoing based on information gleaned from the Indian spy about his accomplices

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday it was considering the visa request of Kulbhushan Jhadav’s mother, the Indian spy who was sentenced to death for espionage and for his involvement in terrorist activities in the country.

The statement from the Foreign Office spokesperson came just days after Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Sawaraj revealed that she wrote a letter to her Pakistani counterpart, Sartaj Aziz, seeking issuance of visa for Jhadav’s mother.

Sawaraj, however, regretted that Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz did not have the courtesy to acknowledge the letter.

At his weekly briefing, Nafees Zakria while confirming the Indian request said it was under consideration.

However, he added that commander Jhadev, a serving naval Indian officer was involved in multiple acts of espionage, subversive activities, terrorism and terrorism financing in Pakistan.



“He has been sentenced to death and investigations still continue based on the information that he continues to provide of his accomplices and networks operating in Pakistan,” Zakaria added.

The visa issue of Jhadev’s mother came to light after a Pakistani girl, diagnosed with cancer, was denied visa by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. She then went on to Twitter and sought the intervention of Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Sawaraj.

The Indian foreign minister responded back to her by suggesting that she would be issued visa only after her application was supported by Sartaj Aziz.

In the wake of ongoing tensions, India has tightened visa rules for Pakistanis including patients. Now, patients need to attach a letter of PM’s adviser along with their visa applications.

“It is highly regrettable that India has placed such restrictions on visas for patients who are suffering from serious and terminal illnesses. Asking for a letter from the foreign affairs adviser is against the diplomatic norms,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said.

“Such a requirement has not been prescribed for any other country. We are making suitable alternative arrangements, both within Pakistan as well as in friendly countries,” Zakaria added.



The spokesperson, meanwhile, welcomed the statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry offering to play a ‘constructive role’ in defusing tensions between Pakistan and India over the disputed Kashmir region.

Zakria said Kashmir was an internationally recognised dispute and many countries had shown interest to play a role to resolve the longstanding dispute.

On a question about Amarnath attack, the spokesperson said Pakistan ‘condemns killing of innocent civilians.”  “We sympathize with the bereaved families and the injured.”

However, he said the involvement of Indian secret agencies behind the Amarnath attack could not be ruled out.

“Indian agencies have a track record of staging false flag operations. Chattisingpora massacre of 38 innocent Sikhs in March 2000 is one of the cases in point,” the spokesperson said.

He said the Kashmiri leadership in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir also condemned the killings.

“On social media, a number of Indians have highlighted that last time when Yatris were attacked was in August 2000, BJP was in government then too. Some have pointed finger at RSS and BJP government, who want to put the blame on innocent Muslims,” he pointed out.

He said India had for long tried to taint the indigenous Kashmiri movement for self-determination in IoK by equating it with terrorism, which the international community rejects outright.

“Their lies about infiltration and external support to indigenous movement for self-determination in IoK stood exposed when International People’s Tribunal, an NGO in IoK, discovered 3,000 mass graves in 2009.”

“Their findings in a 112-page report established the fact that Indian occupation forces had been killing local Kashmiris, mostly youth, in fake encounters using false pretext of infiltration from LoC and the bogey of terrorism.”