In a video released by the Pakistan Foreign Ministry after Kulbhushan Jadhav’s meeting with his wife and mother on Monday, 25 December, Jadhav can be heard thanking the country for its ‘grand gesture’.
In the video, Jadhav says:
I requested a meeting with my wife and mother and I am thankful to government of Pakistan for this grand gesture.
Jadhav met his wife and mother at the Pakistan Foreign Affairs Ministry in Islamabad for the first time since his arrest in March last year.
Accompanied by Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh and a Pakistani woman official, Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetankul can be seen entering the main building of the ministry and the door shutting behind them.
Pakistan Foreign Office released pictures of Jadhav talking to his wife and mother from behind a glass screen. The communication between them was through an intercom device.
When questioned about the reason for the glass barrier between jadhav and his family, spokesperson for the Pak Foreign Ministry, Mohammad Faisal responded:
It was for security reasons, we had already told them that you will be able to meet him but a security barrier would be there. It was a humanitarian meeting, it was not consular access.
The Pak Foreign Ministry added that Indian diplomat JP Singh was present and could see the meeting but was not allowed to meet Jadhav. The spokesperson added that Pakistan extended the meeting by 10 minutes on Jadhav’s request.
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