The Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi has issued visas
to convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife, the Foreign
Office said on Wednesday.
The visas were issued after Pakistan decided to allow Jadhav's mother to visit him,
in addition to his wife. The two women will travel to Pakistan to meet
the Indian spy on December 25 and will be accompanied by an Indian
diplomat.
Pakistan had initially offered a meeting between Jadhav and
his wife on “humanitarian grounds”. However, India made the acceptance
of the offer conditional to permission for his mother and an Indian
diplomat to accompany her. After extensive deliberations, the Indian
request was allowed and last week Dec 25 was proposed as the meeting
date.
Jadhav, who was captured by Pakistani security
forces on March 3, 2016, in Balochistan, was sentenced to death by a
military tribunal earlier this year for his involvement in terrorism and
espionage. His appeals against the conviction have been rejected by the
military appellate court and his mercy petition has been lying with
Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
India has challenged
Pakistan’s refusal to grant consular access to the spy in the
International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ is hearing the case and
has restrained the Pakistan government from executing Jadhav till it
decides the case.
