ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reportedly appears to be reluctant to give India consular access to the alleged Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent who was arrested last week in Balochistan while training separatists for terrorist attacks.
It maybe recalled that the Indian Government had confirmed Kulbhushan Jadhav as a retired former officer of the Indian Navy officer and had sought consular access to him.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had reportedly consulted the Foreign Office, the interior and defence ministries on India’s request, and they recommended against granting New Delhi consular access to Jadhav, citing ‘inappropriate timing’, reports The Express Tribune.
Pakistan ministry said that granting India access to Jadhav would open a pandora’s box and probably weaken Pakistan’s case against New Delhi.
Islamabad will instead approach major world powers, especially the United States, to substantiate its claim that India was stoking terrorism in Pakistan.
Sharif will leave this week for a tour of the US, where he would attend the Nuclear Security Summit and meet India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister directed the two ministries to register a case against Jadhav and collect evidence against him.
Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested in a raid near the border town of Chaman last Thursday.
He was earlier posted at Chabahar port in southeastern Iran where he lived with his wife and two children.