Islamabad, Dec 8 (PTI) Pakistan on Friday said it will allow convicted Indian death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet his wife and mother on December 25
Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April on charges of espionage and terrorism
The International Court of Justice in May had halted his execution on India's appeal
Jadhav has been allowed to meet his wife and mother on December 25, Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said
During his weekly news briefing, the spokesman said a staff member from the Indian High Commission will also be present during the meeting
Earlier on November 10, Pakistan had agreed to allow his wife to meet him
India has been pressing Pakistan to grant a visa to Jadhav's mother, Avantika, on humanitarian grounds
External Affairs Minister Sushma Sawraj had recently discussed Jadhav's case with Pakistani High Commissioner to New Delhi Sohail Mahmood
Pakistan has repeatedly denied India consular access to Jadhav on the ground that it was not applicable in cases related to spies
Jadhav had filed an appeal with Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to seek clemency, which is still pending
In October, the Pakistan Army had said it is close to a decision on the mercy petition of Jadhav
Pakistan claims its security forces arrested him from restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy
Jadhav's sentencing had evoked a sharp reaction in India
After India approached the International Court of Justice, a 10-member bench on May 18 restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case
The ICJ has asked Pakistan to submit its response or memorial by December 13 before the court could start further proceedings in the case.
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Modi should leverage his ties with world leaders to de-escalate war in West Asia: Omar Abdullah
Jammu (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said India can play a meaningful role in de-escalation in West Asia, given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong relations with the warring countries and their neighbours.
He said Pakistan was leveraging ties with Iran and the United States, and that any effort towards ending the war should be welcomed.
"As I said in the House (Assembly), we would like the war to end as soon as possible. The role that the prime minister can play may not be possible for anyone else because of his good relations with all these countries," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
He, however, said any escalation would not be easy to manage.
"Any such move by US President Donald Trump, despite the long history of Iran resisting external domination, would not be easy," the chief minister said.
Asked about Pakistan mediating in the war, he said, "I will simply say that if any country can play a role in preventing this war, no one should have any objection to it."
He added, "I will repeat what I said … our prime minister has good and close relations with all countries — whether it is Israel, the United States, Iran, or the countries around Iran. If those relationships can be used to make some progress and help ease the situation, it would be a good thing."
Abdullah said attacks by terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in India, as suggested by a report from the United States, are not unlikely.
Meanwhile, he asserted that any efforts to end the war, be it from Pakistan, must not be resisted.
"Pakistan is using its good relations with Iran and the United States to its advantage, and it has done so. How can we object to that? If that angle helps in stopping the war, would you want them not to act and let the war continue? We want the war to stop. If any country can play a role in that, it should. And if we can play an even better role, then we should do so," he said.
On unemployment in J-K, the chief minister said the issue cannot be resolved overnight, and government jobs alone are not the solution.
He stressed the need to explore alternative avenues, highlighting the importance of Mission Yuva in promoting entrepreneurship.
"Mission Yuva provides not just funding but also support in preparing DPRs and post-startup assistance, such as marketing. In just nine months, distributing Rs 1,000 crore and approving numerous schemes is a significant achievement," he said.
Abdullah credited the coordination between the government and Jammu and Kashmir Bank for the scheme's progress.
