Pak issues visa to mother, wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav; meeting on Dec 25

Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday issued visa to Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother to visit Islamabad to meet the Indian prisoner on death row, the Foreign Office said.

Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.

The ICJ halted his execution on India's appeal pending the final verdict by it. "Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued the visas to the mother and wife of Commander Jadhav to visit Islamabad to meet him, today," Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal tweeted.

Pakistan had agreed to facilitate a meeting of Jadhav with his mother and wife in Islamabad on December 25. It also agreed to India's demand that they be accompanied by an official of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

On Wednesday, Pakistan directed its High Commission in New Delhi to issue visas to  Jadhav's wife and mother.

Pakistan had claimed its security forces had arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. It also claimed that he was "a serving officer in the Indian Navy".

According to India's version, Jadhav, a retired Naval officer, had been kidnapped from Iran where he was in connection with his business.