ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia met the detained Indian Spy Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav at the Foreign Office in Islamabad on Monday, reports Dispatch News Desk (DND) News Agency from Islamabad.
The meeting lasted for two hours and 18 minutes and it took place after Pakistan announced to provide Consular Access to Kulbhushan Jadhav in line with Vienna Convention on Consular relations, International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) judgement and the laws of Pakistan.
Consular access for Indian spy Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, a serving Indian naval officer and RAW operative, is being provided on Monday 2 September 2019, in line with Vienna Convention on Consular relations, ICJ judgement & the laws of Pakistan.
— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) September 1, 2019
Consular access for Indian spy Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, a serving Indian naval officer and RAW operative, is being provided on Monday 2 September 2019, in line with Vienna Convention on Consular relations, ICJ judgement & the laws of Pakistan.
— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) September 1, 2019
The 49-year-old Kulbhushan Jadhav is a serving Indian Naval Officer and RAW Operative. He was arrested in Pakistan and later sentenced to death for espionage, terrorism and sabotage charges.
The decision to grant him Consular Access was made after the ICJ in its verdict read out by the Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf at The Hague in Netherlands on July 17, 2019 asked Pakistan to provide Jadhav the consular access. However, the ICJ rejected the Indian plea for his acquittal.
Foreign Office’s Statement on Kulbhushan Jadhav’s meeting with Indian diplomat
Later, the Foreign Office also issued an official statement which stated “Pursuant to the decision of the International Court of Justice, Pakistan provided consular access on September 02, 2019 to India for Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, Indian spy, serving Indian Naval officer and RAW operative.
Mr. Gaurav Ahluwalia, Charge d’ Affairs of the Indian high Commission in Islamabad availed consular Access which was provided in line with Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, ICJ verdict and the laws of Pakistan.
Consular access was provided at 1200 hours and lasted for two (02) hours, in the presence of officials of the Government of Pakistan.
On Indian request, there was no restriction on the language of communication. In order to ensure transparency and in line with standard operating procedures, and as conveyed to the Indian side in advance, the access was recorded.
As a responsible member of the international community and in line with our international commitments, Pakistan has provided un-impeded, uninterrupted consular access to India to Commander Jadhav.”
Earlier Kulbhushan Jadhav was also allowed by Pakistani authorities to meet his mother and wife on December 25, 2017.
It is worth noting that Pakistan and India will hold high-level talks on Kartarpur Corridor on coming Wednesday at Attari Border, wherein the two neighbors are expected to finalize the draft agreement pertaining to opening of the Corridor.
Despite bilateral relations having been further intensified over unabated cross border firing by India and gross human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir, Pakistan has yet been open to talks with India to resolve their outstanding issues.
Pakistan also opened its airspace for Indian flights which had earlier been shut down after the air forces of both the Countries engaged in an aerial dogfight in February 2019.
