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BILATERAL RELATIONS

after he reportedly entered from Iran.
It claims that he was in possession of
an Indian passport that identified him
as Hussein Mubarak Patel. India,
Pak Drama Over Kulbhushan however, maintains that Jadhav was
kidnapped from Iran where he had
business interests after retiring from
Jadhav Meeting Wife, Mother the Indian Navy.
Faisal also tweeted that the meeting
was arranged in light of “Islamic
But a day after the meeting, India accused Pakistan of violating mutual traditions and based on purely
understandings and said Jadhav appeared coerced and under considerable humanitarian grounds.” All the
stress during the tightly-controlled interaction —By Zafri Mudasser Nofil information about the meeting
emerged through Pakistani Foreign
Ministry tweets and images. Faisal
The much-anticipated meeting of Ministry. TV footage showed a convoy
even tweeted about Jadhav’s mother
Indian death row convict Kulbhushan of around seven vehicles escorting
sitting in the visitor’s room along with
Jadhav and his mother and wife in Jadhav’s family in the city. Pakistan
a picture. “The mother and wife of
Islamabad turned out to be a carefully portrayed the meeting as a
choreographed event by Pakistan that humanitarian gesture to mark the Commander Jadhav sitting
unfolded in tweets, photos and TV birthday of the country’s founder comfortably in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Pakistan. We honour our
footage. Muhammad Ali Jinnah. “Pakistan
THE INSENSITIVE APPROACH OF commitments,” he tweeted.
PAKISTAN From Pakistan’s side, Foreign
The meeting, which lasted nearly 40 In Brief Office Director for India, Fareha Bugti,
minutes, was held on December 25,  The much-anticipated was present at the meeting. The two
2017, at the heavily guarded Foreign women greeted mediapersons with a
meeting turned out to be a namaste after arriving at the ministry
Affairs Ministry building. It came after
carefully choreographed but did not respond to their questions.
the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
event by Pakistan. They also did not talk to the reporters
asked Pakistan in May to stay the
 After the meeting, India while leaving the building, although
execution of 47-yearold Jadhav. TV
footage showed Jadhav’s mother accused Pakistan of violating journalists kept shouting questions.
Avanti and wife Chetankul entering the mutual understandings. Pakistan on December 20 issued
ministry building’s Agha Shahi Block,  The meeting came after the visa to Jadhav’s wife and mother to
visit Islamabad to meet him. Jadhav
accompanied by India’s Deputy High ICJ asked Pakistan in May to
Commissioner J P Singh and a stay the execution of Jadhav. was sentenced to death by a Pakistani
Pakistani woman official. After they 4 Pakistan claims its security military court on charges of espionage
went in, the door shut behind them. forces arrested Jadhav from and terrorism in April 2017, following
Pakistan Foreign Office later which India moved the ICJ in May. It is
its restive Balochistan expected to hold another hearing in
released pictures of Jadhav talking to
province. March or April this year. But a day after
his wife and mother from behind a
 India, however, maintains that the meeting, India accused Pakistan of
glass screen. The communication
Jadhav was kidnapped from violating mutual understandings and
between them was through an intercom
device. After the meeting, Jadhav’s Iran. said Jadhav appeared coerced and
wife and mother were driven away in a under considerable stress during the
tightly-controlled interaction.
white SUV. The Foreign Office also MEETING SMACKS OF PAKISTAN’S
issued a new video message of Jadhav permits the meeting of wife and mother SINISTER MOTIVES
in which he is seen thanking the of Commander Jadhav with him, as a
Pakistan went so far as to have the
Pakistan government for arranging a humanitarian gesture, on the birthday
mangal sutra, bangles and bindi of his
meeting with his wife and mother. of the Father of the nation, Quaid-e-
“I requested a meeting with my wife Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,” Foreign mother and wife removed before they
could meet him, the external affairs
and mother and I am thankful to Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal
ministry said in a statement. Jadhav’s
Government of Pakistan for this tweeted.
mother and wife met him under unusual
gesture,” Jadhav said in the brief The tweet made it a point to identify
circumstances — he was separated
message. Jadhav was at the ministry Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer,
from the two women by a glass screen,
before his family arrived. It was not with his military title. Pakistan claims
known where he had been kept before its security forces arrested Jadhav
being transported to the Foreign from its restive Balochistan province (Contd on page 40)
38 Competition Wizard March 2018