Jadhav-kin meet success despite all impediments: Pak slams MEA's claims
Mumbai: Hours after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her ministry criticised the inhumane treatment given to Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother, Pakistan on Thursday called the meeting of the former naval officer with his kin in Islamabad on Monday a "success despite all impediments".
“We categorically reject all Indian allegations. It needs to be acknowledged that the purpose of the visit was to have a meeting of Commander Jadhav with his wife and mother, which was successfully achieved despite all impediments. It was permitted on humanitarian grounds, in line with Islamic teachings and traditions of compassion and grace,” Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said.
Lambasting Pakistan for the treatment offered to Jadhav's kin in Islamabad, Sushma said Pakistan had used the emotional reunion of a "mother with her son and a wife with her husband" after 22 months as a propaganda tool.
"We condemn such shameful behaviour by Pakistan and will not take it silently. We will expose Pakistan's utterly disgusting behaviour," She said.
Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs responded to it saying, "Indian allegations coming 24 hours after the visit are baseless, counterproductive and regrettable."
"It is essential to note that the humanitarian gesture does not obviate the fact that this was not an ordinary meeting between a mother and wife with their son and husband. The reality remains that Commander Jadhav is a convicted Indian terrorist and spy responsible for multiple deaths and destruction in Pakistan," claimed Islamabad in a statement.
Patting its own back for giving ten extra minutes to Jadhav to meet his mother and wife Pakistan Foreign Minister said, "The meeting initially scheduled for 30 minutes was extended to 40 minutes on their request."
Sushma told Parliament on Thursday that Kulbhushan Jadhav was forced to see his mother and wife in the form of "widows" as their mangalsutra, bindi and bangles -- symbols of marriage -- were taken away.
In the name of security, she said, Jadhav's mother and wife Chetankul were forced to change and wear salwar kameez.
"There was neither humanity nor goodwill in the meeting. Pakistan should be condemned in the strongest words," Sushma said.
Calling Jadhav "a spy and a terrorist", Khwaja Asif said: “Commander Jadhav is a spy and a terrorist. The meeting was not allowed to be conducted in Marathi due to security reasons. There is nothing sinister in that. The mother was allowed to say a short prayer in Hindi/Marathi. They spoke comfortably in English for about 40 minutes which is duly recorded (again India was pre-informed that the meeting would be recorded).”
Responding to Pakistan media being allowed to come near Avaniti and Chetankul, Khawaja Asif said that "no specific distance was agreed to".
“Indian media is driving its policy. Unlike India, media in Pakistan is not under any restrictions or gag orders. Pakistan has been totally open and transparent throughout the meeting, offered in good faith. We should focus on the bigger positive outcome and not get bogged down in details or distortion of facts,” Asif said.
Sushma on Thursday also described as "absurdity beyond measure" Pakistan's allegations on Chetankul Jadhav's shoes, which were taken away and never returned.
"We were right in suspecting mischief... they keep saying there was a camera or chip or recorder in the shoes. The same shoes passed checks by two airlines -- Air India and Emirates. As they enter Pakistan, they have chips?"
Asif said, “Many routine airport security checks for ordinary people entail removal of crosses and veils. Trying to distort an agreed security check and attempting to portray it as a deliberate religious/cultural disrespect denotes bad faith and is regrettable.”
