Pakistan denies consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav

Islamabad, June 4: Pakistan has denied consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, arrested earlier this year.

Pakistani authorities have charged Jadhav with spying and conducting subversive activities in Balochistan province and Karachi city of Pakistan.

"After due consideration, it has been decided not to grant consular access to Jadhav," Dawn online on Saturday quoted a top security source as saying.

The reason behind the decision was cited as Jadhav's involvement in "subversive activities" in Pakistan, the source said.

Pakistani forces had arrested Jadhav from Balochistan province in March this year.

It was said that the retired Indian navy officer was "a serving officer in the Indian Navy and deputed to Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)".

The Indian External Affairs Ministry said Jadhav formerly worked in the Indian Navy and Gautam Bambawale, Indian High commissioner in Islamabad, sought consular access to him.

"The said individual has no link with the government since his premature retirement from Indian Navy. We have sought consular access to him," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said.

The Pakistan army, however, said Jadhav was directly in contact with Anil Kumar Gupta, the joint secretary of RAW.

The source said Pakistan has documentary evidence against Jadhav which will be presented in the UN.

The Pakistani government had recovered travel documents and multiple fake identities from Jadhav, the source said.

The Pakistan government reportedly established the arrested man as an Indian spy who entered into Balochistan through Iran with a valid Iranian visa.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) aired a video of Jadhav in which he confessed to involvement in terror activities in Balochistan and Karachi.

"I am still a serving officer in the Indian Navy and will be due for retirement in 2022," he said in the video.

--IANS

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