India on Thursday said that our officials in Islamabad had met Kulbushan Jadhav after Pakistan assured “unimpeded and unconditional consular access” to the ex-naval officer who was sentenced to death by the country’s military court for alleged espionage activities in 2016.
However, when the Indian officials visited Jadhav where he is held captive, they realised that he was under severe stress and that Pakistan had violated all its assurances laid out before the access was provided. “It was 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,” the official government statement said. The contacts and conversations between the Consular Officer and Shri Jadhav assume great importance.
It was clearly mentioned during the request for the meeting that “any conversation between them must necessarily take place in privacy and without the presence of any Pakistani official or recording by Pakistan”, so that Jadhav could speak freely without any concerns of reprisal as he remains in Pakistani custody after the meeting. However, to the shock of the Indian authorities, neither the environment nor the arrangements of the meeting were in accordance with the assurances of Pakistan.
“We were assured that this consular access would be unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional. On the basis of this assurance by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, two Consular Officers of the High Commission proceeded to the meeting with Shri Jadhav. Moreover, Pakistani officials with an intimidating demeanour were present in close proximity of Shri Jadhav and Consular Officers despite the protests of the Indian side,” the officials told the government of India.
