Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother, wife meet Sushma

A day after their meeting across a glass panel with Kulbhushan Jadhav in Islamabad, the mother and wife of the Indian national on death row in Pakistan, met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here on Tuesday.

According to reports, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar accompanied Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetankul during the meeting at Sushma Swaraj's residence.

In a meeting described as a "humanitarian gesture" by the Pakistan government on the birth anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Jadhav came face to face with his mother and wife after a gap of 22 months at the Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad on Monday.

Separated by a glass partition in the heavily-guarded building, they spoke through an intercom watched by the Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh who escorted them to the meeting.

Jadhav's family was later taken to the Indian High Commission before their return to India late on Monday night via Oman.

The two women did not speak to the media in Islamabad.

Pakistan has said that the meeting does not mean any change in Pakistan's stance regarding Jadhav.

Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.

India has said that Jadhav is innocent and has maintained that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had gone for handling his businesses after superannuation from the Indian Navy.

Despite the death verdict, Pakistan last week reiterated that he was not under threat of an immediate execution as his mercy petitions were still pending.

--IANS

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