On Tuesday, India demanded from Pakistan, consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav. Kulbhushan was given the death penalty for alleged espionage charges by a Pakistani Court. Gautam Bambawale, the Indian high commissioner of Islamabad conveyed this message to Tehmina Januja, the Pakistani foreign Secretary. The meeting was called by the high commissioner to discuss the same.
However, the meeting was rescheduled to April 19 as Pakistan denied the demand for access to the 46 year old. Bambawale previously met Januja on April 14 and expressed the increasing concern of India about Jadhav’s fate. These advances, however, were thwarted by the Pakistan Army who rejected any kind of access.
Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale to shortly meet Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua over #KulbhushanJadhav issue
— ANI (@ANI_news) April 26, 2017
Bambawale, speaking to the media after the meeting said he had requested a copy of the verdict form and also the list of all charges so that he could appeal against his conviction. He also said under international law on humanitarian grounds, he had requested access to Jadhav, which was rejected repeatedly by the country.
Pakistani armed forces claimed to have arrested Jadhav from Balochistan province on March 3 in 2016. They claimed that he had entered Pakistan from Iran and was a ‘serving officer in the Indian Army.’ Pakistan also released a video of a confession, which was rejected by the Indian Government.
The India acknowledged Jadhav had worked for the Indian Navy, but said he did not have any connection to the Government or related organizations.
