Pak showed its ugly side
Mangalsutra, bangles, bindi of Jadhav’s wife, mother were removed
A day after Kulbhushan Jadhav met his mother Avanti and wife Chetankul, India on Tuesday criticised Pakistan for the exercise that “lacked credibility” as it was conducted in an “atmosphere of coercion”.
Jadhav’s mother and wife were forced to change their clothes, forced to remove bangles, mangalsutra and bindi, not allowed to speak in their mother tongue, Marathi, harassed by Pakistani media and his wife’s shoes were never returned, said an angry New Delhi.
India also asserted that the exercise violated the letter and spirit of understanding, and raised questions over the health and well being of the Indian national and added that Jadhav appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightlycontrolled interaction.
Jadhav's mother and wife had a restricted interaction with him for 40 minutes, separated by a glass screen, in Islamabad on Monday.
A day after Kulbhushan Jadhav met his mother Avanti and wife Chetankul, India on Tuesday criticised Pakistan for the exercise that “lacked credibility” as it was conducted in an “atmosphere of coercion”.
Countering Pakistan’s contention that the meeting was a “humanitarian gesture”, India’s ministry of external affairs in a statement said, “From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion.”
Jadhav’s mother and wife had a restricted interaction with him for 40 minutes, separated by a glass screen, at the heavily guarded building of the Pakistani foreign office in Islamabad.
Indian deputy high commissioner to Pakistan J.P. Singh, who accompanied the two women, was initially separated from them.
Mr Singh could join only after pressing the matter with Pakistani officials, but was still kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed. On Tuesday, Jadhav’s mother and wife held a series of meetings in New Delhi with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and other top officials, including foreign secretary S. Jaishankar and J.P. Singh, who returned with them from Islamabad after their meeting with the jailed Indian.
Attacking the treatment of Jadhav, the external affairs ministry said that most of Jadhav’s remarks were clearly tutored and designed “to perpetuate the false narrative” of his alleged spying in Pakistan.
Family members, however, handled the situation with “great courage and fortitude,” the ministry said, adding that Jadhav’s “appearance also raises questions of his well being”.
Despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access, Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to “approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations” about Jadhav, the statement said.
India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security.
“This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security,” it said.
“For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests,” Jadhav’s wife’s shoes were not returned to her after the meeting,” it added.