ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday provided second unimpeded and uninterrupted consular access to Indian spy Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav at New Delhi's request.
"Two consular officers of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad were provided unimpeded and uninterrupted consular access to Commander Jadhav at 1500 hours [on Thursday]," said Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui.
She said that Pakistan remained committed to fully implementing the International Court of Justice (ICJ)'s judgment of 17 July 2019.
"It is hoped that India will cooperate with the Pakistan court in giving full effect to the said judgment," she added.
First consular access under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR) 1963 was earlier provided by Pakistan on 2 September 2019, she said, adding that the mother and wife of Commander Jadhav were also allowed to meet him on 25 December 2017.
Commander Jadhav is in Pakistan's custody following his arrest from Balochistan in a counter-intelligence operation on 3 March 2016.
During investigation, the spokesperson added that Commander Jadhav confessed to his involvement in terrorist activities inside Pakistan that resulted in loss of many precious human lives. "He [Jadhav] also made important revelations about RAW's role in sponsoring state terrorism in Pakistan," she added.
However, in a statement in New Delhi, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava stated that the consular officers were not given "unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional" access to Jadhav.
On the basis of this assurance by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, he added that two consular officers of the High Commission proceeded to the meeting with Jadhav. "Regrettably, however, neither the environment nor the arrangements of the meeting were in accordance with the assurances of Pakistan...The Consular Officers were not given unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional access to Jadhav," he maintained.
"On the contrary, Pakistani officials with an intimidating demeanour were present in close proximity of Shri Jadhav and Consular Officers despite the protests of the Indian side. It was also evident from a camera that was visible that the conversation with Shri Jadhav was being recorded. Shri Jadhav himself was visibly under stress and indicated that clearly to the Consular Officers," he further maintained. He continued, "The arrangements did not permit a free conversation between them. The Consular Officers could not engage Shri Jadhav on his legal rights and were prevented from obtaining his written consent for arranging his legal representation."
"In the light of these circumstances, the Indian Consular Officers came to the conclusion that the consular access being offered by Pakistan was neither meaningful nor credible. After lodging a protest, they left the venue," the Indian MEA spokesperson added.
In a statement, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Jadhav himself had confessed about his involvement to terrorism activities in the country.
"We accepted the ICJ's judgment, but India's attitude has always remained negative and they have not extended any cooperation," Qureshi said.
He said that Pakistan's approach is positive and 'we have presented all the facts to the world'. "We are proceeding forward within the parameters of the law," the foreign minister added.
In line with the ICJ's July 17, 2019 judgment, Pakistan promulgated enacted an ordinance on May 20, 2020 to provide opportunity to the Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to file a petition for "review and reconsideration" against his sentence and conviction.
However, responding to a question at her weekly media briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said that the time limit for filing a review petition is 60 days, which is set to expire on July 19, 2020.
"We hope that the Indian side will cooperate in this regard," she added.
Responding to another query about the reopening of Wagah border for Afghan transit trade, she explained that it is a one-way facility for the Afghan exports only.
She said that as the transit trade agreement with Afghanistan, the Afghan trucks will be allowed to transport the Afghan goods to the border.
To another question about the arrest warrant issued by an accountability court for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, she said that the Foreign Office was approached to facilitate the letter and convey the instructions, which was conveyed through Pakistan's High Commission in London.
About the situations in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Farooqui has reiterated for enhanced international monitoring and continued UN reporting on the human rights crisis in the occupied valley to save lives, dignity and freedoms of Kashmiri people.
She said people of the occupied Kashmir have been under illegal Indian occupation for over seven decades.
She said that UN human rights machinery in recent months has highlighted India's non-compliance with its international human rights obligations.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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