Indian officials ditch meeting Jadhav: Qureshi

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Pakistan on Thursday gave consular access to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, however, the two Indian High Commission officials ran away from the meeting, without talking to him.
The foreign minister said that they gave consular access to the Indian spy under agreed terms, however, the two Indian officials did not listen to him. We removed a glass between the spy and the Indian officials while audio and video recording equipment was also removed on the request of the high commission officials, the foreign minister said adding that all such steps were taken to facilitate the meeting.
However, despite all these arrangements, he said that the Indian officials left the meeting as Jadhav continuously asked them to talk to him. “It shows their negative intent,” Shah Mahmood Qureshi said while terming their attitude as surprising and asked if they did not want to talk to him then why consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav was sought. “We implemented their all demands but they choose to run away rather than availing the opportunity of consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav.”
The foreign minister said that even Kulbhushan Jadhav was surprised at their behaviour and was left stunned when the officials left the meeting room without talking to him. He blamed that that neighbouring arch-rival wanted to create an impression that Pakistan is not willing to give consular access to their spy through such acts.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan on Thursday granted second consular access to Indian spy Kulbushan Jadhav. In a statement, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said that two consular officers of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad were provided unimpeded and uninterrupted consular access to commander Jadhav at 1500 hours.