India on Thursday said that it wants the Pakistan government to guarantee the security of Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife before she goes there to meet him in the neighbouring nation. Jadhav is a former Indian Navy officer held on espionage charges by Islamabad.
A military court in Pakistan had sentenced the 46-year-old to death on April 25 for "espionage and subversive activities." Pakistan had used a video confession of Jadhav to claim that he was a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent. However, India has rejected all the charges and has since approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stating that Jadhav was forced to confess on camera.
India had reportedly sought visas for Jadhav's parents, Sudhir and Avantika Jadhav, to visit Pakistan to meet their son, however the Islamabad government only allowed his wife to meet him, citing "humanitarian grounds."
Although Pakistan gave permission last week for Jadhav's wife to visit the country and meet her husband last week, India has however set some conditions to ensure the family's safety as well as guard against "dirty tricks" India expects Pakistan to play when his wife is there.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar, said: "We have conveyed that the wife of Mr Jadhav would like to travel along with her mother-in-law for the meeting. We have sought sovereign guarantee from the government of Pakistan to ensure the safety, security and well-being of the wife and the mother of Mr Jadhav and that they shall not be questioned, harassed or interrogated during their stay in Pakistan. We have further asked that a diplomat of the Indian high commission in Islamabad be allowed to accompany them at all times, including during the meeting."
India's response to Pakistan's offer was made as a note verbale to the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi and the foreign ministry in Islamabad.
Pakistan's foreign ministry had stated that it had received the response and the conditions are "being considered."
India had approached the ICJ on May 8 demanding immediate suspension of Jadhav's death. The Hague-based international court has stayed Jadhav's hanging until it gives the final verdict.
