Sushma Swaraj lashes out at Sartaj Aziz after her request to grant visa for Kulbhushan Jadhav’s mother gets no response

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday lashed out at Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz, for not acknowleding her personal letter in which she has requested to grant a Pakistani visa for Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother. However, she had assured Aziz that any Pakistani national seeking a medical visa to travel to India with his recommendation will be given the visa immediately.

In a series of tweets, Swaraj said, "I have my sympathies for all Pakistan nationals seeking medical visa for their treatment in India. All that we require is his recommendation for the grant of medical visa to Pakistan nationals."

She said a visa application was pending for Indian national Avantika Jadhav who wants to meet her son in Pakistan.

"I wrote a personal letter to Mr Sartaj Aziz for the grant of her visa to Pakistan. However, Mr Aziz has not shown the courtesy even to acknowledge my letter," she tweeted. 

46-year-old Jadhav, was allegedly arrested by Pakistan in the restive Balochistan province last year. He has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism.

Yesterday, 25-year-old Faiza Tanveer, who has an aggressive tumour in her mouth had urged the External Affairs Minister to help her visit India for treatment after her visa application was reportedly rejected by the Indian embassy. However, Sushma Swaraj sharply denied it, saying Sartaj Aziz had not given a recommendation letter needed for Tanveer's visa.

"I have my sympathies for all Pakistan nationals seeking medical visa for their treatment in India. I am sure Mr.Sartaj Aziz also has consideration for the nationals of his country. All that we require is his recommendation for the grant of medical visa to Pakistan nationals," she tweeted.

All that we require is his recommendation for the grant of medical visa to Pakistan nationals. /3 — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 10, 2017

Earlier, last month,  India had issued a medical visa to a two-and-a-half-month-old child from Pakistan who was suffering from a heart disease, after his father sought intervention of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. "It is heartening to see humanity prevailing despite many differences. Thank you for your efforts. Humanity prevails! God bless everyone," the child's father had tweeted after Sushma's intervention.

As per the reports of PTI, Indian hospitals have reported receiving around 500 patients from Pakistan every month. Many of the unwell needed a liver transplant, which costs between Rs 20-30 lakhs.

(With inputs from agencies)