Almost 2 weeks after the International Court of Justice’s order, Pakistan has grudgingly agreed to grant India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav. Pakistan has said that Indian officials can meet Kulbhushan Jadhav on Friday.
BIG #Breaking 1st on TIMES NOW | Big Win for India: After ICJ snub, Pakistan forced to give India Consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav. Modalities on Consular access being discussed. | @srinjoy_c with details. | #IndiaJadhavVictory pic.twitter.com/n3duwpOJqb
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) August 1, 2019
Kulbhushan Jadhav was convicted of spying on Pakistan and a military court had sentenced to death in April 2017. The death sentence has been put on suspension as per the ICJ order and Pakistan will have to review the conviction and sentencing of Jadhav.
India has acknowledged the receipt of Pakistan’s invitation for consular access and said that the Indian government is evaluating the proposal in light of the ICJ order. The spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said that they will maintain communication with Pakistan in this matter through diplomatic channels.
Raveesh Kumar, MEA on Pakistan offering India consular Kulbhushan Jadhav: We have received a proposal from Pakistan. We are evaluating the proposal in the light of ICJ judgement. We will maintain communication with Pakistan in this matter through diplomatic channels. pic.twitter.com/t4re9R5LUE
— ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2019
On July 17, 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had ruled in India’s favour in Kulbushan Jadhav’s case. The court unanimously found that it has jurisdiction in the case. The court rejected Pakistan’s objections to the admissibility of India’s application and found that the application filed by India was admissible.
The court also ruled that Pakistan had violated the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, by not informing Kulbhushan Jadhav about his rights under the convention, and also by not informing the Indian Consular officials in Pakistan about Jadhav’s arrest. The ICJ had ordered Pakistan to provide Kulbhushan Jadhav with an effective review and reconsideration of his conviction and sentence. After the ICJ’s verdict, Pakistan had assured that it will comply with it. A day after the ruling, Islamabad said Jadhav had been informed of his rights under Article 36, Paragraph 1(b) of the Vienna Convention.
India had made several requests to Pakistan for securing consular access to Jadhav but Pakistan had repeatedly thumbed its nose at India’s numerous appeals. It was after several failed attempts that India approached the ICJ in May 2017 to lodge a case against the injustice meted out by Pakistan on Kulbhushan Jadhav and their insistent refusal to grant India consular access to him.
India is yet to respond to Pakistan on the matter and the External Affairs Ministry is expected to brief the media about the development shortly.
