Pak rejects fresh India demand for access to Jadhav
ISLAMABAD/NEWDELHI: Pakistan on Wednesday turned down a fresh demand for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav from India, which launched an appeal against the death sentence given to him by a Pakistani military court for alleged involvement in spying.
The demand for consular access — the 16th one — was conveyed by Indian envoy Gautam Bambawale to Pakistan’s foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua at the Foreign Office in Islamabad.
The envoy also handed over two appeals from Jadhav’s mother — one to the Pakistan Army’s court of appeal against the death sentence given to her son on charges of espionage and sabotage, and another asking the Pakistan government to free him.
However, Janjua contended Jadhav was not covered under a bilateral agreement on consular access as he was a “spy”. Consular access is meant for “important prisoners but not spies”, she reportedly said.
Janjua alleged Jadhav “was a serving Indian naval officer, who was involved in nefarious terrorist activities in Pakistan”, staterun Radio Pakistan reported. She added that India was contacted for information about Jadhav but did not cooperate.
The formal appeal against the death sentence, filed under Section 133(B) of the Pakistan Army Act, was signed by Jadhav’s mother. T
he external affairs ministry said in a statement Jadhav “continues to be in detention in Pakistan on concocted charges”.
Bambawale told the Pakistani foreign secretary that Jadhav’s mother had expressed a desire to meet him. India requested Pakistan to facilitate visas for the parents of the 46-year-old former naval officer.