New Delhi, Dec 28: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Thursday accused Pakistan of committing serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and creating an intimidating atmosphere for them during their meeting with him which was used as an instrument to further Islamabad’s propaganda.
“There are not enough words to condemn the same,” Sushma Swaraj said in both the Houses of Parliament as members endorsed her statement, which also stated that the meeting on Monday in Islamabad was portrayed by Pakistan as a humanitarian gesture “but the truth is that both humanity and compassion were missing”.
“I am fully confident that this entire House and through this House, the people of India, strongly condemn in one voice the obnoxious behaviour of Pakistan and affirm their solidarity with the Jadhav family,” the Minister said in identical statements in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.
Taking the floor after the Minister’s statement, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said the treatment meted out by the Pakistani authorities to the family was “an insult to 130 crore Indians”.
“Regardless of political differences, when it comes to the country’s dignity and another country misbehaves with our mothers and sisters, it will not be tolerated,” said Azad. Referring to the meeting on Christmas Day that was arranged through diplomatic channels, Sushma Swaraj said while the meeting could have been a step forward in India-Pakistan relations, it was a matter of great concern that there was departure from the agreed understanding between the two countries.
“The emotional moment between the mother and her son, and a wife and her husband after a period of 22 months, was misused by Pakistan as an instrument to further its propaganda,” she said, adding that the Ministry had stated its position in this regard Tuesday.
India’s concern arising out of this meeting were conveyed to Pakistan through diplomatic channels on Wednesday, she said. Listing the concerns conveyed to Islamabad, the Minister said there was a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access to Jadhav’s mother and wife. However, not only was the Pakistani press allowed to approach them closely “but the family members were also harassed through use of offensive language by the media”. “The Pakistani media hurled false and motivated accusations about Jadhav,” she stated.
Under the pretext of security precautions, even the attire of the family members was changed. “Jadhav’s mother, who wears a sari only, was instead given salwar and kurta to wear. Bindi, bangles and mangalsutra of the wife were removed,” she said.
IANS
