After wife, Pak considering request to let Kulbhushan Jadhav meet mother

New Delhi: Pakistan on Saturday said it is “considering” a request from India to let the mother of imprisoned former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav meet him, apart from his wife who has already received permission to visit the prisoner.

Mr Jadhav has already been sentenced to death by a Pakistani Army court on charges of espionage and sabotage while India has dismissed the allegations against him and had demanded consular access. Pakistan had recently made the offer which it had described as “humanitarian”.

According to news agency reports from Islamabad, Pakistan foreign office (FO) sources said India in response has again asked Pakistan to issue a visa to Jadhav’s mother so she can also visit her imprisoned son. FO spokesman Mohammad Faisal confirmed that India has responded to Pakistan’s offer. “Indian reply to Pakistan’s humanitarian offer for Commander Jadhav received & is being considered,” he tweeted.

Mr Jadhav’s mercy plea is currently pending before the Pakistan Army Chief. Pakistan claims he was captured last year from its restive Balochistan province while India has alleged that Jadhav, after his retirement from the Navy, worked as a businessman in Iran from where he was kidnapped. India had approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) earlier this year following the sentencing of Jadhav to death by the Pakistani military court. Pakistan is still refusing to give India consular access to Jadhav. Jadhav’s parents had earlier requested Pakistan to grant them a visa to see their son.

Pakistan’s “humanitarian” offer had triggered tremendous speculation that the two countries could be moving towards some sort of understanding on the issue which in turn could see rock-bottom ties improving. Both countries have released each other’s fishermen from captivity in recent times. India has also been granting medical visas on humanitarian grounds to ill Pakistanis desperately needing treatment in India.