ISLAMABAD - Pakistan is set to allow convicted Indian spy Kulbushan Jadhav to meet both his wife and mother in the coming days, The Nation has learnt.
Senior officials at the foreign ministry told The Nation that since India’s request to allow Jadhav’s mother to meet him was also related to “humanitarian grounds”, Pakistan was unlikely to reject it.
“Unless we find some problem with it, we will let them meet Jadhav. Both the mother and wife can see him once we officially allow them to come to Pakistan [for the purpose]. There will be meetings in this regard between the civil and military leadership before a final decision but it is expected to be positive. In principle we have nothing against a mother meeting a son after he has been convicted,” said a high-level official, privy to the Jadhav case.
He added: “We will soon announce the decision. We are hoping India won’t send another list of the people for Jadhav meeting once we allow this [meeting between Jadhav, his mother and wife].”
Reports said Jadhav’s mother had already filed a visa application with the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. On November 10, Pakistan had offered India a meeting of Kulbushan Jadhav with his wife on “humanitarian grounds”.
Earlier, the foreign ministry received India’s reply to Pakistan’s offer to allow Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet his wife.
New Delhi requested that his mother should also be allowed to accompany Jadhav’s wife.
Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal tweeted: “Indian reply to Pakistan’s humanitarian offer for Commander Jadhav received and is being considered.”
Later, Dr Faisal, who is also the director-general for South Asia at the foreign ministry, told The Nation: “We have been positive on such meeting that’s why we offered his wife to meet Jadhav. We are positively considering India’s request [for including Jadhav’s mother in the list].”
He said Pakistan wanted good ties with all the neighbours including India. “We have always taken positive steps to promote dialogue and improve relationship with India,” Faisal added.
Pakistan has refused India’s requests for consular access to the convict and had also conveyed its decision to the International Court of Justice – hearing the Jadhav case. Pakistan told the ICJ about Jadhav’s role in the terrorism acts across Pakistan that resulted in scores of deaths in the past.
India challenged Jadhav’s conviction in the ICJ.
Pakistan also challenged the jurisdiction of the ICJ regarding conviction of Jadhav after the court observed that turning down the request for consular access was a denial of right.
Presenting Pakistani stance, Dr Mohammed Faisal had told the ICJ in May that under the Vienna Convention, hearing of criminal cases did not fall under the purview of the international court.
Dr Faisal had then said the spies did not have any right of counsellor access and India did not produce evidence provided by Pakistan against Jadhav in the court.
In May, the United Nations top court ordered Pakistan to stay the execution of Jadhav. Pakistan had earlier, communicated to the ICJ its designation of Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, a former Chief Justice of Pakistan, to be its judge ad-hoc in the Jadhav case.
The procedures of the ICJ allow a party to nominate a judge ad-hoc in circumstances where there is no Judge of the Court with that party’s nationality.
Currently, there is no Judge of the Court that has Pakistani nationality, whereas Judge Dalveer Bhandari from India sits as a Judge of the Court.
Those appointed as judge ad-hoc are treated as having the same authority on the court as any of the sitting judges. Jadhav has filed a mercy petition to army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, to spare his life on “compassionate grounds”.
Jadhav can still file another appeal to President Mamnoon Hussain, if the army chief rejects his plea.
Another official at the foreign ministry told The Nation that unless India asked Pakistan to allow its intelligence officers or investigators, Pakistan would consider all family meeting requests.
“It is up to us to allow or refuse any request but only requests for their investigators and intelligence officials meetings will be rejected out-rightly. Family meeting requests for anyone can be considered,” he maintained.
Pakistan-India tension has been running high since July 2016 after the killing of freedom fighter Burhan Wani.
The Indian forces later killed dozens of protesters who protested against the murder.
In September 2016, the tensions rose further as New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the Uri attack, which inflicted the heaviest toll on the Indian Army in a single incident in 14 years.
Nineteen soldiers were killed in the strike. Pakistan denied any link. Jadhav’s conviction added to the tension.
International relations expert Farooq Hasnat said Pakistan had been positive to improve ties with India but New Delhi had always spoiled the efforts.
He said even after Jadhav’s conviction in terrorism cases, Pakistan itself offered a meeting of his wife with the Indian spy.
“India should acknowledge our positivity. Nothing but dialogue is the solution to all the issues,” Dr Hasnat added.
International affairs expert Dr Huma Baqai said India should respond to Pakistan’s efforts for improving ties positively. “There was no pressure on Pakistan to allow Jadhav a meeting with his wife but Pakistan made an offer. India should also respond to such efforts and resume the dialogue process with Pakistan to resolve all the bilateral issues,” she said.