India to evaluate Pakistan proposal on Kulbhushan Jadhav as per ICJ guidelines

Reacting to Pakistan’s offer to provide consular access of Kulbhushan Jadhav to India, the MEA on Thursday said that the proposal sent by Pakistan is being evaluated by the government as per the guidelines given by ICJ. The response is to be sent will be given by the government through diplomatic channels.

"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," Raveesh Kumar said. 

Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on death row in Pakistan, will be granted consular access by Friday, Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said on Thursday. Jadhav, 49, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of “espionage and terrorism” in April 2017 following which India had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking a stay on his death sentence and further remedies.

Also read: After ICJ verdict, Pakistan finally offers consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav: Reports

“Pakistan is awaiting Indian response after it formally informed the Indian High Commission here,” Faisal said at the weekly media briefing. The move comes two weeks after the ICJ ordered Pakistan on July 17 to undertake an “effective review and reconsideration” of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay.

In its 42-page ruling, the ICJ ruled that Pakistan had “breached” the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, which gives countries the right to consular access when their nationals are arrested abroad. Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran.

However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.