Jadhav row: India scraps talks with Pak coast guards

New Delhi: Amid growing tension over the death sentence awarded to Kulbhushan Jadhav by a Pakistani military court, India on Saturday called off bilateral maritime security dialogue scheduled for early next week.

A three-day conference, between India’s Coast Guard and Pakistan’s Maritime Security Agency, was to be held in the capital from April 16 to 19, to discuss various aspects related to the search and rescue of fishermen from the two countries. 

Sources claimed that the defence ministry has not given clearance to the Pakistani delegation.

Once again reiterating the government’s commitment to providing all possible help to Mr Jadhav, minister of state for external affairs, V.K. Singh, said that steps are being taken to gain consular access to him even though Pakistan has denied India’s request 13 times in the past. 

On Friday, India requested Pakistan for the 14th time, for consular access to Mr Jadhav.

As per provisions of the Vienna Convention, a country has to provide consular access if it detains the national of another country. 

Talking to the media on the sidelines of an event here, Mr Singh maintained that Mr Jadhav was abducted from Iran. 

Pakistan has labelled Mr Jadhav a R&AW agent and a military court has awarded him the death sentence for carrying out sabotage and espionage activities in Karachi and Balochistan. New Delhi has said that it would not only appeal against Mr Jadhav’s death sentence, but has also demand a copy of the chargesheet and the final court order to finalise the future course of action.

India has said that if Mr Jadhav, a former Indian naval officer, is executed, it will be “premeditated murder”.