–FO spokesperson says this time Indian consular officers will get access to RAW spy without presence of security guard
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan offered on Friday to grant consular access to convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav for a third time, a day after Indian diplomats stormed out of a meeting with the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent.
Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said that this time Pakistan has offered to give consular access without the presence of a security guard. She said that the offer was made as a “goodwill gesture”.
The development comes a day after two officials from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad — who had been provided consular access for a second time to Jadhav at New Delhi’s request — left without hearing him out, claiming they were not provided “unimpeded” consular access.
The Indian diplomats were allowed to hold a meeting with Jadhav a week after the disclosure that the spy had turned down an offer to file a review petition against his conviction.
The development was seen by many as a sign that some Indian diplomats may consider availing the concession offered through an ordinance promulgated on May 20, which allowed Jadhav to file a review petition — directly or through the Indian government or his legal representative — in Islamabad High Court (IHC) within 60 days. The limit expires on July 19.
In a statement on Thursday, the FO spokesperson said two consular officers of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad were provided “unimpeded and uninterrupted access to Jadhav at 1500 hours”.
“The first consular access under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963 was provided by Pakistan on Sept 2, 2019. The mother and wife of Jadhav were also allowed to meet him on Dec 25, 2017,” the FO statement read.
“India’s ill intentions have come to light,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said after the diplomats left without meeting Jadhav. “They didn’t want consular access. [Jadhav] kept asking the Indian diplomats to talk to him and they left.”
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs, however, said its diplomats had protested and left the meeting with Jadhav, claiming that an agreement to allow “unimpeded” consular access had not been honoured by Pakistani officials, Reuters reported.
“Pakistani officials with an intimidating demeanour were present in close proximity of Shri Jadhav and Consular Officers despite the protests of the Indian side,” the Indian MEA said in a statement, adding that the conversation was also recorded.
Indian officials said they were prevented from obtaining Jadhav’s written consent to arrange legal representation, necessary for a review of his case.
