Pakistan lets family meet Kulbhushan Jadhav

Islamabad, Dec 25: The mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav met him in Islamabad on Monday, amid arguments between the two countries over his conviction.
Pakistan said Mr Jadhav was arrested in Balochistan in 2016 and it has produced videos that it says are confessions. On the contrary, India has argued that he was kidnapped by Pakistan while he was in Iran and has been tried on "concocted charges".
Jadhav's mother, Avanti, and his wife, Chetankul, were accompanied by Indian diplomats during the visit.
The family met him at the Pakistani Foreign Ministry in Islamabad and were scheduled to take a flight back to Delhi in the evening.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said that the meeting was allowed on "humanitarian grounds".
The women were brought to the Pakistan foreign office building amid tight security. "Both women looked very serious. They didn't say anything despite journalists shouting questions at them. They quietly walked towards the building," the BBC News added.
According to the Geo TV report, the roads leading from and to the Foreign Office building have been closed to traffic ahead of the meeting.
Jadhav was arrested on March 3, 2016. He has been convicted of espionage and sabotage activities.
Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement on Monday that Jadhav has not been given consular access. Clarifying earlier reports in the media, the Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal said the presence of Indian diplomat during the scheduled meeting between Jadhav and his family does not mean Jadhav has been given Indian consular access.
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, during his appearance on Geo News programme 'Naya Pakistan', had said that India was given consular access to the convict. He had added that Pakistan had allowed Jadhav's meeting with his mother and wife purely on "humanitarian grounds."
On April 10, a Field General Court Martial — under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, and Official Secrets Act, 1923 — had awarded death sentence to Jadhav for espionage and sabotage.
Later, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa ratified the sentencing by the army tribunal. Jadhav has since been on the death row.
India then moved the ICJ to give it six months to file pleadings in the case, which the United Nations’ judicial organ had turned down in June this year. Later, New Delhi submitted its memorial (arguments) to the ICJ on September 13. On May 18, the ICJ ordered Pakistan to halt the execution of Jadhav until a final decision was made in the proceedings. UNI