Kulbhushan Jadhav’s wife and mother headed for the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
Former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav‘s wife and mother has landed in Islamabad amid tight security arrangements and is expected to meet Jadhav soon. Meanwhile, the Pakistani media has reported that the Pakistan government has finally granted consular access India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav after denying the same for 22 times in a row.
According to reports, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has confirmed the development. In India, officials, however, downplayed the comments by the Pakistani minister, maintaining that an Indian diplomat was only accompanying Jadhav’s family and it cannot be construed as “consular access”.
The family is expected to leave Pakistan soon after the meeting. India’s Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh is also accompanying the family to the meeting. Twenty-two months since Kulbhushan Jadhav was taken into illegal detention in Pakistan, his family will finally get a glimpse of him on Monday. An official from the Ministry of External Affairs is also accompanying the two to Pakistan.
This is the first access anyone from India will have access to former Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was illegally detained by Pakistani officials in March 2016. Pakistan authorities granted visas to Jadhav’s wife and mother while denying consular access to India 22 times in a row since his arrest last year.
Kulbhushan Jadhav’s wife and mother would be immediately traveling back to India via Oman. They will travel to Muscat on Oman Air and then will board Air India flight to New Delhi. Pakistan has announced it will issue photos and video of the meeting. Officials also said Jadhav’s family would not interact with the media.