Pak violated spirit of our understandings: India on Jadhav's meet with kin

Image
ANI New Delhi [India]
Last Updated : Dec 26 2017 | 4:25 PM IST

India has denounced the manner in which Pakistan conducted the meeting of former Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife and mother.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Tuesday said, "We note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings."

"Prior to the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format. There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments," he added.

Raveesh Kumar concluded by saying that the manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath seemed clearly to be an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Jadhav's alleged activities, adding the exercise lacked credibility.

Earlier today, Jadhav's wife and mother met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Raveesh Kumar were also present at Swaraj's residence.

The two women returned this morning after meeting the convicted Jadhav in Pakistan.

Jadhav's meeting with his family members was not any ordinary meeting as they were separated by a glass barrier.

The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), to this end, clarified that the screen was placed due to security reasons and that Jadhav already knew this would be the setting. It substantiated his stance by adding that Islamabad considered Jadhav as "the face of Indian terrorism, especially in Pakistan."

In addition to this, the MoFA released another 'confessional' video of Jadhav's, in which the convicted alleged spy was seen confessing that he did cross from Iran to Pakistan two years back.

Jadhav, in the video that was apparently shot before he got to meet his kin, also said that he had requested to meet his family members and that he was grateful to the Pakistan Government for letting that happen.

Pakistan had earlier agreed to facilitate the visit of Jadhav's family and also assured their safety, security, and freedom of movement in the country.

Jadhav was arrested in March this year, in Balochistan, Pakistan, over charges of alleged involvement in 'espionage and subversive activities for India's intelligence agency - the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).'

India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Dec 26 2017 | 4:25 PM IST

Next Story