Pakistan allows Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet his wife in jail

In a major breakthrough, Pakistan today allowed Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife to visit him in jail.

Kulbhushan Jadhav was sentenced to death on charges of spying by a Pakistani military court in April, but India had contested the verdict at the International Court of Justice.

The International Court of Justice at The Hague had stayed the execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav in May till the time the hearing in the case gets over.

In July, Pakistan had said it was considering a request from India to allow Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother Avantika Jadhav to visit her son in jail.

Earlier, the Pakistan Foreign Office had rejected India's demand for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav as many as 18 times, saying New Delhi is trying to deny the facts by calling Jadhav an "ordinary prisoner".

The two countries had exchanged lists of nationals lodged in the jails of the other country over four months ago, according to the provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access between them.

In its list, the Pakistan foreign office had said the Indian prisoners included "52 civilians and 494 fishermen".

The Consular Access agreement between New Delhi and Islamabad was signed on May 21, 2008, as per which the comprehensive list of nationals has to be exchanged twice each year, which takes places every year on January 1 and July 1.

India has repeatedly asked Pakistan for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav who has been awarded death sentence by a Pakistan army court for alleged "involvement in espionage and terrorist activities in Pakistan".