Family allowed to meet Jhadav on Dec 25

Foreign Office expresses concerns over US move to shift embassy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has granted permission to the mother and wife of an Indian convicted spy to meet him later this month, the Foreign Office announced on Friday in a move appears to be linked to the upcoming proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

“Pakistan has informed India that it is ready to allow the visit of the mother of Commander Jadhav, along with his wife,” said Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal at the weekly news briefing.

The visit, he said, should happen on December 25. A diplomat from the Indian high commission in Islamabad would be allowed to accompany the visitors. “Requisite security would be provided to the visitors,” the spokesperson added.

In a surprise move, Pakistan had offered India that it was ready to allow the wife of Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was sentenced to death on charges of espionage and committing terrorist acts in Pakistan, to meet him to which India responded positively but suggested that the convicted spy’s mother should also be allowed to meet her son.

Kulbhushan was arrested from Balochistan in March 2016 in a joint counter-intelligence operation. Few days later, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) released his recorded statement in which the naval officer-turned-RAW agent confessed to have been working for the Indian secret service agency.



He admitted that he was working for RAW, which had given him the task to carryout subversive activities in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan. Jadhav was later given death sentence by a military tribunal. India had sought consular access to Jadhav repeatedly but Pakistan turned down its request, citing bilateral accord that did not permit such an access to spies.

India then moved the ICJ, which after preliminary proceedings, issued a stay order till the case is decided.

Meanwhile, Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh was summoned to the Foreign Office on Friday to register Pakistan’s strong protest over the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces on December 7 in Chirikot Sector, Chaffar Village while a funeral prayer was being offered, resulting in the martyrdom of two civilians (Shaukat and Iqbal), and injuries to four others.

“Despite calls for restraint, India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations,” said the spokesperson.



He aid in 2017 to date, Indian forces have carried out more than 1,300 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, resulting in martyrdoms of 54 innocent civilians and injuries to 174 others, as compared to 382 ceasefire violations in 2016).

Meanwhile, the spokesperson said Pakistan was gravely concerned over the move by the United States to shift its embassy to the occupied City of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, altering the legal and historical status of the city.

“The move will sidestep decades of global consensus on this issue, undermine regional peace and security, as well as derail any prospects for a lasting peace in the Middle East,” the spokesperson said.

He said the matter will be taken up at OIC summit.

Pakistan renewed its call for establishment of a viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine, on the basis of internationally agreed parameters with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

He said Pakistan had issued travel advisory to its citizens in Afghanistan to remain cautious and get them registered with the Pakistani embassy in Kabul.