Jadhav's wife's shoes sent for lab tests as there was something in it : Pakistan

“The Indian baseless allegations and twists that come 24 hours later, about the visit of the wife and mother of Commander Jadhav are categorically rejected,” it said in a statement on Tuesday night.

Jadhav met his mother and wife in Islamabad on Monday, their first meeting since his arrest from Balochistan last year on charges of espionage and terrorism.

New Delhi said Pakistan disrespected the cultural and religious sensibilities of Jadhav’s family, alleging they were asked to change their clothes, and that his wife was ordered to remove her “mangal sutra”.

Chetankul Jadhav, the wife of the convicted Indian national, was also asked to take off her shoes.

Geo News quoted the Foreign Office as saying that  Chetankul's shoes were taken over after authorities felt "there was something fixed in them."

According to Express News, the foreign office said soles of the wife’s shoes were unusually thick. Therefore, she was provided with other footwear.

“Her jewellery and other items were returned to her, however, the shoes have been sent to a laboratory for examination.”

After returning from Pakistan, the wife and mother of Jadhav met with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

During the December 25 meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen while his mother and wife sat on the other side.

They spoke through intercom  for about 40 minutes.

India has  denounced Pakistan over the treatment of the family of  Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistan court  for  alleged spying, saying they had been harassed during a visit.

The Indian Government has accused Pakistani authorities of, among other things, refusing to return the shoes of the visiting wife of  Jadhav after she turned them over to security for the visit.

India said the meeting between Jadhav and his wife and mother in the jail was held in an “intimidating atmosphere” and questioned why the shoes of his wife were kept back even after the meeting.

Raveesh Kumar, the official spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs (MEA), said  “under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded” and this “included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security.

For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting, Kumar said.

"The Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them, and hurl false and loaded accusations about Jadhav," Kumar said.

Jadhav, who was captured in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying.

New Delhi maintains Jadhav is innocent, and it won an injunction from the World Court to delay his execution, arguing he was denied diplomatic assistance during his trial by a military court.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday  said  that she will make a statement on the Kulbhushan Jadhav issue  in the Lok Sabha  on Thursday as a   row erupted over the alleged ill-treatment meted out to the family of the former Indian Navy officer.

Earlier, Lok Sabha MPs asked External Affairs Minister to make a statement on this issue and shouted slogans in support of their demand.