New Delhi: India on Tuesday wrote to Pakistan to grant it consular access to Indian prisoners, including Kulbhushan Jadhav, and immediately release 10 Indian civilian prisoners lodged in Pakistani jails.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has asked Pakistan to “expedite the grant of visas to the members of the medical experts team, proposed to visit Pakistan to assess the mental condition of believed-to-be-Indian prisoners of unsound mind lodged in different jails of Pakistan, organise early visit of the Joint Judicial Committee to Pakistan; and also organise early the visit of the 4–member team to Karachi in connection with release and repatriation of 22 Indian fishing boats.”
India also asked Pakistan to immediately make necessary arrangements for the release and repatriation of 10 Indian civilian prisoners lodged in Pakistan jails whose nationality has been confirmed by Pakistan.
Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, was awarded the death sentence by a Pakistani military court under Pakistan Army Act-59 (PAA- 59) on charges of espionage.
However, India has maintained that Jadhav is innocent. The last hearing, in this case, took place in February at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) headquarters in The Hague.
Also Read: WhatsApp Launches New Privacy Settings For Group Chats
Ms Kalinga