Kulbhushan Jadhav met his mother Avanti and wife Chetna at the Pakistan Foreign Ministry in Islamabad on Monday. Kulbhushan Jadhav met his mother Avanti and wife Chetna at the Pakistan Foreign Ministry in Islamabad on Monday.

A day after India termed Kulbhushan Jadhav meeting his kin at the Pakistan Foreign Ministry in Islamabad as an ‘exercise that lacked any credibility’, the Pakistan Foreign Office on Tuesday rejected New Delhi’s criticism, saying the shoes of Jadhav’s wife were confiscated on security grounds, reported DawnNews.

In a statement to DawnNews, Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal said ‘there was something in the shoe’, adding that it’s being investigated. Meanwhile, Pakistan Today quoted the Foreign Office as saying a “metallic object” was detected in the shoes and the authorities were ascertaining whether it was a camera or a recording chip.

Faisal said Jadhav’s wife had been provided with replacement shoes and all her jewellery was returned. The spokesperson added that Chetna acknowledged she got her belongings back, barring the shoe.

Kulbhushan Jadhav’s meeting with mother Avanti and wife Chetna lasted for 40 minutes interrupted with tears of joy and sadness. They were able to communicate with Jadhav via a “telephone” as well as across a glass screen. This was their first meeting after he was arrested by Pakistani authorities on charges of espionage in March 2016 — India maintains he was kidnapped from Iran. Also Read: Kulbhushan Jadhav’s meeting with kin ‘lacked credibility’: MEA

Within the first few minutes of Kulbhushan Jadhav meeting his mother Avanti and wife Chetna on Monday and after he had enquired about the health of his father, as the former Indian Navy officer on Death Row started talking about how he was sent by Indian intelligence agencies to spy, his mother told him, “Khare bola (Speak the truth)”.

The next 35 minutes, Jadhav gave, what India says, were “tutored statements” about his involvement in espionage. In between, Chetna broke down while Avanti kept asking him about his health and how he was being treated as he looked “unwell and tired”, and not his “usual self”, they told Indian officials. Also Read: Kulbhushan Jadhav meeting: Full statement of MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday had said that Kulbhushan Jadhav appeared stressed and was speaking in an atmosphere of coercion during the meeting. “Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being.” India also warned Pakistan of “any mischievous intent.” Before the meeting, the duo were thoroughly checked and were forced to remove mangalsutra, bangles and bindi. The family was also not allowed to speak in their mother tongue during the meeting and was repeatedly interrupted if they did so.

The MEA’s statement comes after Jadhav’s mother Avanti and wife met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj earlier on Tuesday. The family had met Jadhav for the first time since his conviction by a Pakistan military court on charges of espionage. India, on the other hand, maintains that Jadhav is a former Navy officer who was arrested from Iran where he had developed business interests.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App.

© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd