India's Deputy High Commissioner To Pakistan Gaurav Ahluwalia Meets Kulbhushan Jadhav

Earlier, a meeting took place between India’s Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan Gaurav Ahluwalia and the spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Faisal.

New Delhi: The meeting between India's Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan, Gaurav Ahluwalia and Kulbhushan Jadhav has begun in  Isalambad, agencies reported.  The meeting between the senior Indian diplomat and Jadhav is currently underway, reports said. Pakistani media earlier reported that a senior Indian diplomat in Islamabad today met with Kulbhushan Jadhav, after India agreed to Pakistan’s offer of granting him consular access, media there reported. The Express Tribune reported about the development citing sources who refused to share any further details, including the venue of the meeting. Earlier in the day, a meeting took place between India’s Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan Gaurav Ahluwalia and the spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Faisal. India, today, agreed to proceed for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav by Pakistan and has expressed hope for ‘right atmosphere’ during the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday. New Delhi has expressed hopes that Islamabad will ensure the right atmosphere for a free and fair meeting in keeping with the letter and spirit of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) orders, news agency ANI said citing government sources. "India has been seeking consular access to Kulbushan Jadhav for the last three years. The matter of denial of consular access was taken to ICJ by India. The court gave a unanimous decision in favour of India. Today, after victory in the ICJ, India will be proceeding for consular access to Jadhav," they said. Pakistan on Sunday announced that it will provide consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, the 49- year-old retired Indian Navy officer who is on death row in Pakistan, on Monday. Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that Jadhav, is being provided the consular access "in line with Vienna Convention on Consular relations, ICJ judgement and the laws of Pakistan". On August 30, India reiterated that it sought "immediate, effective and unhindered" consular access to Jadhav and was in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels. This comes nearly six weeks after Pakistan promised consular access to the Indian national. However, Faisal's tweets on Sunday doesn't say if the consular access is unhindered as demanded by India. Jadhav is on a death row in Pakistan which has accused him of spying. He 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 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.