Pakistan used Kulbhushan Jadhav-family meet as propaganda, says Sushma Swaraj

Pakistan used Kulbhushan Jadhav-family meeting as propaganda, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on 28 December.

She said this while making a statement on Kulbhushan Jadhav in Rajya Sabha.

The External Affairs Minister said Pakistan used emotional meeting between Jadhav, his mother and wife after 22 months as propaganda.

The entire House backed Swaraj by shaming Pakistan.

She said Pakistan flouted all the understandings between the two countries over the meeting.

She objected the way Jadhav's mother and wife were treated during their visit to Islamabad to meet jailed Jadhav.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Parliament witnessed protests, with various political parties, including the Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress and AIADMK condemning the way Pakistan humiliated the kin of jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav in Islamabad.

"We condemn the way Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife were treated in Pakistan. Kulbhushan Jadhav should be brought back to the country," said Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge in the Parliament.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Pakistan disregarded the cultural and religious sensibilities of former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav's family, who met him on Monday in Islamabad.

The wife and the mother of Jadhav were asked to remove mangalsutra, bangles and bindi, besides having been asked to change the attire, for "security" reasons.

After the meeting, Jadhav's mother and wife were also harassed in heavily guarded foreign ministry office by Pakistani journalists.

Adding to these treatment, Pakistani journalists heckled and harassed Jadhav's mother and wife by hurling insensitive questions on them - "Aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi? (your husband killed thousands of innocent Pakistanis, what do you have to say about that?)'" and "Aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad? (How do you feel after meeting your killer son?)".

Jadhav is on a death row in Pakistan over charges of terrorism and spying for India's intelligence agency- Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

On 18 May 2017, the International Court of Justice stayed the hanging after India approached it against the death sentence. 

-ANI