Kulbhushan Jadhav's well-being a matter of concern: India

The well-being of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Indian national who was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges espionage, still remains a matter of concern, a senior official said on Thursday.

"We haven't seen, we haven't heard (Jadhav), he has been in Pakistan's custody for well over one year," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said in his weekly media briefing here.

"Therefore, the well-being and the state of health of Jadhav is a matter of great concern," he said.

The spokesperson said that on Wednesday Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale again sought a report from the Pakistani government on Jadhav's medical condition.

"So, we await Pakistan's response," he said.

Jadhav, a former Indian naval officer, was allegedly arrested in Balochistan in March 2016. Pakistan has accused him of being a spy. A military court sentenced him to death on April 10.

Including on Wednesday, India has sought consular access to the Indian national 16 times but Pakistan has denied this every time.

In Thursday's briefing, Baglay said an application for a Pakistani visa was filed by Jadhav's mother in her private capacity "but the (Indian) government has asked the government of Pakistan that this request may be facilitated". He added that there has been no response on this either.

As for the Pakistan government's claims that Jadhav's trial was conducted in a transparent manner, Baglay said: "We have nothing from the government of Pakistan officially in terms of the documents, details, chargesheet, evidence etc. We don't know who defended him."

Baglay said that, because of this, "there is great concern about not only his well-being but ensuring justice".

--IANS

ab/vt