Pakistan processing visa applications of Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother

NEW DELHI: Pakistan is processing the visa applications of Indian death row prisoner Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother, who had requested to meet him.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Mohammad Faisal, the Spokesperson for Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan, wrote:

Visa applications of mother and wife of Commander Jadhav received for their visit on humanitarian grounds. Being processed. — Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) December 16, 2017

Pakistan had earlier permitted Jadhav's mother and wife to meet him on December 25 “on humanitarian grounds”. His family members will be accompanied by a diplomat from Indian high commission in Islamabad.

On Wednesday, Pakistan once again rejected India's plea for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Pakistan has repeatedly denied India consular access to Jadhav on the ground that it was not applicable in cases related to spies.

Jadhav, a retired navy official, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on grounds of espionage and terrorism. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May 2017 halted his execution on India’s appeal.

India had earlier requested for a Pakistani visa for Jadhav’s mother, Avantika, who wanted to meet her son in Pakistan.

Islamabad has claimed that Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan province on March 3, 2016, after he crossed illegally into Pakistan from Iran and was attached to the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.

In a statement in November, Pakistan further said that Jadhav had "confessed" in a Pakistani court "that he was tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organise espionage, terrorist and sabotage activities aimed at destabilizing and waging war against Pakistan".