Will comment after report from officials who met Kulbhushan Jadhav: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that it will make a comment after getting an assessment from Indian officials who have gone to meet Kulbhushan Jadhav, after Pakistan granted second consular access to the Indian national.

"On Kulbhushan Jadhav case, we have been demanding unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional consular access to him. On the basis of assurances provided the officials have proceeded for meeting today. We are yet to hear from them. Once, we assess the situation based on their report, we will comment," said Anurag Srivastava, MEA spokesperson, during a weekly press briefing.

Earlier, the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Pakistan provided second consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav at Indian request today. Two consular officers of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad were provided unimpeded and uninterrupted consular access to Jadhav at 3 pm."

Pakistan claims that Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan in 2016 on charges of espionage. India has rejected Pakistan's allegations about Jadhav's involvement in spying and subversive activities and said he was kidnapped from the Iranian port of Chabahar.

In early 2017, a Pakistani military court sentenced him to death. In May 2017, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed his execution.

In July last year, the ICJ, by a vote of 15-1, had upheld India's claim that Pakistan has committed an egregious violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations on several counts.