Pakistan on Friday said it will allow convicted Indian death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet his wife, months after India had requested Islamabad to grant a visa to his mother on humanitarian grounds.
"The Government of Pakistan has decided to arrange a meeting of Commander Kulbhushan Jhadav with his wife, in Pakistan, purely on humanitarian grounds,” foreign office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said in a statement.
"A Note Verbale to this effect has been sent to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, on Friday,” he said.
This comes days after the Pakistan Army, while talking about the mercy plea of alleged Indian Jadhav, said the officer’s petition is now in its final stage and also that "good news will be delivered soon".
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Earlier last month, Pakistan in a statement had said that it has received India’s written pleadings to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is hearing the case of Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged espionage, according to a PTI report. The memorial (written pleadings) was submitted by India to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on September 15.
The report further stated that the ICJ had suspended the death sentence of Jadhav pending final judgement by it after India moved the court in May, requesting immediate suspension of the sentence. The Pakistan foreign office in a statement as quoted by PTI stated, “Pakistan has received the Memorial (written pleadings) from the International Court of Justice, submitted by the Government of India.”
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The statement also said that the memorial is under consideration by a team of lawyers and experts, led by the Attorney General of Pakistan.
Jadhav's death sentence was confirmed by Pakistan's army chief General Qamar Bajwa on April 10. He has filed an appeal with the army chief to seek clemency, which is still pending.
After India approached the ICJ, a 10-member bench on May 18 restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case.
Jadhav's sentencing had evoked a sharp reaction in India.
India has warned Pakistan of consequences and damage to bilateral ties if the "premeditated murder" was carried out.
In its application, India had also informed the ICJ that it learnt about the death sentence against Jadhav from a press release.
India acknowledges that Jadhav had served with the Indian Navy but denies that he has any connection with the government. It also said that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran.
India has also handed over to Pakistan an appeal by Jadhav's mother, initiating a process to get his conviction overturned.
(With PTI inputs)
