Pakistan grants Kulbhushan Jadhav second consular meeting after India asks for 'unconditional' access

Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav was granted second consular access on Thursday. Meanwhile, the MEA said that it was waiting for the assessment report from the Indian officials who met with Jadhav. The second consular meeting came hours after New Delhi had asked Islamabad to give “unconditional consular access” to Jadhav, as per sources. Addressing the MEA’s weekly press conference, spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “On Kulbhushan Jadhav case, we have been demanding unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional consular access to him. On the basis of assurances provided the officials have proceeded for meeting today. We are yet to hear from them. Once, we assess the situation based on their report, we will comment.” Earlier, the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “Pakistan provided second consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav at Indian request today. Two consular officers of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad were provided unimpeded and uninterrupted consular access to Jadhav at 3 pm.” Pakistan claimed that Jadhav had refused to file a review plea on the Pakistani court military court’s judgment which awarded the death penalty to the former naval officer on charges of espionage. India said that he had been coerced into doing that. “Last time what they did was insulting to his mother, father and wife and insulting to India as a whole. So we want that consular access should be unconditional,” Arvind Singh, Kulbhushan Jadhav’s childhood friend, told ANI. Pakistan claims that Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan in 2016 on charges of espionage. India has rejected Pakistan’s allegations about Jadhav’s involvement in spying and subversive activities and said he was kidnapped from the Iranian port of Chabahar. In early 2017, a Pakistani military court sentenced him to death. In May 2017, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed his execution. In July last year, the ICJ, by a vote of 15-1, had upheld India’s claim that Pakistan has committed an egregious violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations on several counts.