Release Kulbhushan Jadhav, India tells Pakistan

NEW DELHI: After Pakistan’s foreign ministry chief Sartaj Aziz was said to have declared that there was inadequate evidence against Indian “spy” Kulbhushan Jadhav, the government on Thursday demanded his immediate release saying that there was not even a shred of evidence to prove the allegations against Jadhav.
The government also officially said for the first time that it had issued as many as eight note verbales for consular access to Jadhav.Pakistan though is yet to respond to India’s request.
“We have seen conflicting media reports about this issue. This is a pattern we have seen in the past as well. Government has always maintained that Pakistan’s allegations against Jadhav, an Indian national and a former Indian Navy officer, were completely baseless,” said MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup.
“Even after more than nine months of keeping him wrongfully and illegally in custody, Pakistani authorities have not found a shred of evidence against him. We demand immediate consular access to him in accordance with relevant international conventions and his earliest release from wrongful confinement. We have also sent eight note verbales to the Pakistan foreign office on this issue,” he added.
Aziz, adviser on foreign affairs to the Pakistan Prime Minister, reportedly told Parliament that the government has been provided with “insufficient evidence” against Kulbhushan Jadhav who was arrested in March this year after allegedly entering Pakistan from Iran.
Pakistan foreign ministry though later denied the report. “There is irrefutable proof against Kulbhushan Yadav who had also made a public confession in March this year,” a Pakistan foreign office spokesperson said in a statement. “The adviser had said that the investigations regarding the network of Kulbhushan Jadhav are ongoing and the dossier shall be completed upon conclusion of the investigation,” the statement said. The government also said that it was closely following up the case of Indian prisoner Hamid Ansari and that it had already issued 42 note verbales to the Pakistan foreign office.
“In response to our latest note verbale dated November 15, Pakistan responded on November 25 stating that concerned authorities in Pakistan are mindful of their responsibilities regarding Mr Hamid Nehal Ansari who is safe, secure and in good health,” said the MEA spokesperson. However, he said, it must be noted that Pakistan has yet to provide India consular access to Ansari.