Pakistan on Thursday directed its High Commission in New Delhi to issue visas to the wife and mother of Indian death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav, official sources said.
The directive was issued by the Foreign Ministry after it decided last week to allow Jadhav’s family to meet him in Islamabad on December 25.
Adequate security measures would be taken for complete safety of Jadhav’s family and an Indian High Commission official would be allowed to accompany them, the sources said.
Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April and India moved the ICJ in May against the order. The ICJ halted his execution on India’s appeal pending the final verdict by it.
Pakistan's claim
Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel from restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.
Pakistan on Wednesday rejected India’s plea for consular access to Jadhav at the ICJ, claiming that New Delhi wants the access to get the information gathered by its “spy”.
Pakistan has repeatedly denied India consular access to Jadhav on the ground that it was not applicable in cases related to spies.
