Pak Says ‘Processing’ Visa Applications of Jadhav’s Wife, Mother
Pakistan had rejected India’s plea for consular access to Jadhav at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
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Pakistan has said that the visa applications of Indian death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav's family has been received and were being "processed".
Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal on Saturday night tweeted that 47-year-old Jadhav's mother and wife had applied for visas.
He further said the applications were "being processed" but did not give any timeline for approval of visas.
On Wednesday, 13 December, Pakistan had rejected India's plea for consular access to Jadhav at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), claiming that New Delhi wants the access to get the information gathered by its "spy".
In its counter-memorial submitted to the ICJ, Pakistan said the provision of such an access under the Vienna Convention is only for legitimate visitors and not for spies, a media report said.
Pakistan said that Jadhav is not an ordinary person as he had entered the country with the intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.
Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel from its restive Balochistan province on 3 March last year after he reportedly entered from Iran.
India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.
Earlier, Pakistan had agreed to facilitate a meeting of Jadhav with his mother and wife in Islamabad on 25 December.
It also agreed to India's demand that they be accompanied by an official of the Indian High Commission.
On Thursday, Pakistan directed its High Commission in New Delhi to issue visas to Jadhav's wife and mother.
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