ISLAMABAD: The Pakis­tan High Commission in New Delhi on Wednesday issued visas to convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav’s wife and mother so that they could meet him in Pakistan.

Foreign Office spokes­man Dr Muhammad Faisal shared the update on his official Twitter account: “Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued visas to the mother and wife of Commander Jadhav to visit Islamabad to meet him.”

The two women will travel to Pakistan to meet the Indian spy on Dec 25 and will be accompanied by an Indian diplomat.

Last week, Jadhav’s wife and mother had submitted their visa applications after India accepted Pakistan’s offer to arrange a meeting.

Pakistan had initially offered a meeting between Jadhav and his wife on “humanitarian grounds”. However, India made the acceptance of the offer conditional to permission for his mother and an Indian diplomat to accompany her. After extensive deliberations, the Indian request was allowed and last week Dec 25 was proposed as the meeting date.

Jadhav, who was captured in March 2016 from Balochistan, was sentenced to death by a military tribunal earlier this year for his involvement in terrorism and espionage. His appeal against the conviction has been dismissed by the military appellate court while his mercy petition is awaiting decision of Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

The development in the spy case comes a week after Pakistan submitted its counter-arguments at the International Court of Justice that is hearing an Indian petition challenging denial of consular access to Jadhav by Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2017