Senior Indian diplomat meets Kulbhushan Jadhav after Pak grants consular access: Media report
Islamabad: A senior Indian diplomat on Monday met Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on death row in Pakistan, after Islamabad granted consular access to the Indian prisoner "in line with the ICJ judgement".
The meeting between a senior Indian diplomat and the convicted Indian spy is currently underway after Pakistan formally granted the consular access to him in line with the decision of International Court of Justice, the Express Tribune reported.
However, it did not identify the Indian diplomat who met the retired Indian Navy officer. The venue of the meeting is not immediately known. In New Delhi, official sources said Charge d' Affaires at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad Gaurav Ahluwalia will meet Jadhav.
The meeting came a month after a similar interaction between Indian officials and Jadhav did not materialise amid differences between New Delhi and Islamabad on the terms of the consular access to the retired Indian navy officer.
Jadhav, 49, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" in April 2017, following which India had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking a stay on his death sentence and further remedies.
On Sunday, Foreign Office Spokesman Mohammad Faisal tweeted that consular access for Kulbhushan Jadhav will be provided on September 2 "in line with Vienna Convention on Consular relations, ICJ judgement & the laws of Pakistan".
The consular access to Jadhav came amidst fresh Indo-Pak tensions, which spiked after India abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated it into two union territories.
India had demanded "immediate, effective and unhindered" consular access to Jadhav from Pakistan and was in touch with Islamabad through diplomatic channels.
However, it is not yet clear if the consular access provided on Monday was unhindered as demanded by India.
On August 1, Pakistan Foreign Office said the retired Indian Navy officer will be granted consular access the next day. However, the meeting, which was scheduled for 3 pm on August 2, did not materialise amid differences between India and Pakistan on the terms of the consular access to Jadhav.
On July 17, the ICJ ordered Pakistan to undertake an "effective review and reconsideration" of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay.
One of the conditions put by Pakistan reportedly was the presence of a Pakistani official when Jadhav is allowed to meet Indian officials as part of the consular access.
India did not agree to the condition, making clear its position that the consular access must be "unimpeded" and should be in the light of the judgement by the ICJ.
Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran.
However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.
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Actor Esha Gupta returns to India after being stuck in UAE, says it was a ‘tough’ situation
Mumbai (PTI): Actor Esha Gupta on Tuesday said she has safely returned to India after being stranded in the United Arab Emirates amid escalating tension due to the Israel-US attack on Iran.
“Back home. Thank you all for your prayers and wishes. It was very tough to be in the situation we all faced. Truly God’s blessing to be safe,” Gupta said in a statement posted on Instagram.
Tensions in the middle east have escalated following a coordinated offensive launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28. Iran responded by firing drones and missiles at Israel and US military installations across the Gulf, and also at the global business hub of Dubai.
The actor, best known for “Jannat 2”, “Rustom” and “Total Dhamaal”, also recounted the tense atmosphere at the Abu Dhabi airport.
“It started when I was at the airport on the 28th (Saturday). By 1 p.m., the airport was closed, chaos all around as none of us knew what had happened. Then the news started coming of the missile attack, and no one knew what the next minute held for us. Strangers consoled each other, all calling their families back home,” Gupta said.
The actor lauded the “strength” and the “composure” of the Abu Dhabi International Airport staff and added that ground security and airport personnel acted immediately to maintain order.
“I hadn’t checked in myself by then, so I took a turn and left for my hotel in Abu Dhabi,” she said, adding that passengers were provided accommodations at available hotels and highlighting the dedication of hotel staff during such a tense situation.
She further said the hotel management answered all their questions patiently to the best of their ability and that there was no shortage of any service.
“The lobby was full of people, including us, scared due to the security alert, but there was no chaos. The hotel security kept reassuring everyone. Not once did we see the people, all scared internally, create stress; we were all in this together,” Gupta said and even thanked the airline staff for their assistance.
“All this shows just the backbone of a country and its strength; they took action when needed, no blaming anyone, just strong decisions. Thank you to everyone who helped and is helping people of the world get back home. Your country is truly special,” she said.
Gupta concluded her post by thanking everyone who helped ensure her safe return.
“Thank you for our government for providing its citizens with reassurance and working towards getting us all back. Thank you to UAE government in working in solidarity with every country for the citizens of the world,” she said.
Actor Sonal Chauhan also updated her fans and admirers that she is heading back home after being stranded in Dubai.
The actor shared the update through her Instagram Stories with a few videos showing her travelling in a car on her way to the airport, with the song ‘Coming Home’ by Skylar Grey playing in the backdrop.
