Two days after the hyped meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family, Pakistani authorities have claimed that a suspicious foreign object was hidden in his wife’s shoes.
The authorities have now sent her shoes for forensic examination to determine the nature of the object present, a media report said on 27 December. The authorities were ascertaining whether the "metallic object" in the shoes was a camera or a recording chip, Pakistan Today quoted Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal as saying.
A separate report in Dawn said that the Foreign Office confirmed a "metallic substance" had been detected in Jadhav's wife's shoes that were retained by security officials prior to the meeting.
Jadhav’s wife’s shoes were kept for inspection, while all other belongings, including jewellery, were returned, Faisal said. He added that she was given an alternative pair of shoes to wear after her shoes were removed.
From “Something” To “Metallic Object”
In a statement issued on 26 December night, the Foreign Office made no mention of a "metallic substance" and had said that there was "something" in the shoes.
In the statement, Pakistan rejected as "baseless" India's contentions that Jadhav's wife and mother were harassed and claimed that his wife's shoes were confiscated on security grounds as there was "something" in it.
"There was something in the shoe. It is being investigated. We gave her a pair of replacement shoes. All her jewellery, etc were returned after the meeting," Faisal said.
The external affairs ministry said in a statement on 26 December that Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles and bindi of Jadhav’s mother and wife removed before they could meet him.
India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security.
The Foreign Office said that Pakistan does not wish to indulge in a "meaningless battle of words" and categorically rejects India's baseless "allegations and twists" about attitude of authorities on Monday.
If Indian concerns were serious, the guests or the Indian Deputy High Commissioner should have raised them during the visit with the media which was readily available, but at a safe distance as requested by India, it said.
"We do not wish to indulge in a meaningless battle of words. Our openness and transparency belie these allegations," it said.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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