Indian 'spy's' mother asks Pakistan to release son
The mother of former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav sentenced to death for espionage in Pakistan has appealed for his release.
Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale on Wednesday met Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua in Islamabad and handed over a petition addressed to the Pakistan Government from Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother seeking the release of the former Indian Navy officer, who has been awarded death sentence by a military court in Pakistan.
"Also handed over was an appeal by the mother to the Court of Appeal, on behalf of Jadhav, who continues to be in detention in Pakistan on concocted charges,'' government sources said.
Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested from the restive Balochistan province in Pakistan on March 25, 2016. He was accused of being an officer of India's Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).
Earlier this month a Pakistani military court awarded death penalty to former Indian navy official Kulbhushan Jadhav. Following Jadhav's sentence relations between India and Pakistan have hit a new low. No Pakistani national has ever been sentenced to death in India for spying.
India's requests for consular access have been turned down by Pakistan.
Jadhav's mother has requested the intervention of the Pakistan Government and expressed the desire to meet her son. Pakistan was also requested to facilitate visas for the mother and father of Jadhav, who has been charged with carrying out espionage activities.
Jadhav's parents wish to travel to Pakistan to meet him and also to personally file the petition and the appeal. They have applied for necessary visas with the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, the sources added.
Bambawale also made a request for the 16th time for consular access to Jadhav. ''Appeal in Kulbhushan Jadhav case, filed by High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale with Pak Foreign Secretary in Islamabad today,'' the Indian High Commissioner tweeted.
This came a day after Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar had met Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and made similar points.
Copyright: The Statesman/ Asia News Network