I have not been tortured in Pakistan: Jadhav

Pakistan on Thursday released a video of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav who says he has not been tortured in custody and that he saw an Indian diplomat "yelling" at his mother and wife after they met him last month.

Sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017, Jadhav says in the video that he had "not been subjected to any sort of torture in Pakistan".

He also thanked the Pakistan government for letting him meet his mother Avanti and wife Chetankul. "This gesture was a positive one... I feel happy."

The death row is heard saying in the video released by the Pakistan Foreign Office: "The Indian person or diplomat accompanying my mother and wife started yelling at them as soon as they stepped out of the meeting."

Pakistani authorities arranged the meeting between Jadhav and his family on December 25 -- through a glass panel -- but did not allow a private discussion. Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh was not seated with the family.

Jadhav, 47, says in the video that he "saw fear" in the eyes of his mother and wife when they met them in Islamabad, Dawn online reported.

"I saw fear... why should there be fear? What all has happened has happened," Jadhav said, adding his family was "threatened".

He said: "I am a Commissioned officer in the Indian Navy - my Commission is not over."

On December 26, India denounced Pakistan for its handling of the visit, saying they were harassed and prevented from talking to Jadhav freely.

New Delhi denies Jadhav is a spy and says he was abducted from Iran where he had business interests. Islamabad claims he was arrested in the restive province of Balochistan.

--IANS

soni/mr