Jadhav’s Wife Had ‘Something’ In Her Shoes, Pakistan Claims After India Warns Against Mischievous Intent

Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife, who along with her mother-in-law went to Islamabad on Monday to meet the Indian national kidnapped and illegally detained by Inter-Services Intelligence, had ‘something’ in her shoes, Pakistan had said.

Pakistan’s statement came after India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) accused it of violating the understanding reached between the two countries regarding the meeting and warned against any mischievous intent after it refused to return shoes worn by Jadhav’s wife.

“For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard,” the MEA had said in a statement.

"There was something in the shoe," Pakistan’s Dawn News quoted the country’s Foreign Office spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal as saying in response to MEA’s statement issued after Jadhav’s mother and wife returned to India. According to another Pakistan channel Geo News, authorities are inspecting the shoes as they felt there was “something fixed" in them.

Among other things, Jadhav’s mother was prevented from talking in her native language and was repeatedly interrupted. The women were forced to remove mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, and were asked to change in attire that was not warranted by security, the MEA had noted.

“We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude,” it added.

Violating the terms of the agreement, Pakistan separated the family from India’s Deputy High Commissioner allowed by Islamabad to accompany the family members, and they were taken to the meeting room without informing him.

"The deputy high commissioner was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed," said the MEA.