India Granted 2nd Consular Access to Kulbhushan Jadhav: Reports
NEW DELHI : After a second consular access given to Kulbhushan Jadhav by Pakistan on Thursday, 16 July, India , hit back saying the Indian officers were not given unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional access to the former Indian Navy officer currently in Pakistan’s custody.
In the second consular access to Jadhav, two consular officers of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad met Jadhav at 3 pm, Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Pakistani officials with an “intimidating demeanor” were present in close proximity of Jadhav and consular officers despite the protests of the Indian side, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
There was an agreement on filing a review petition against the death sentence of Kulbhushan Jadhav, sources said today, after India got consular access to the Indian national for two-hours.
A Pakistan military court had sentenced Mr Jadhav to death on charges of espionage and India got the second consular access at around 4.30pm ahead of the July 20 deadline to file a review petition. The first access was given in September 2019.
Last week Pakistan had claimed that Kulbhushan Jadhav had refused to file a review plea and instead “preferred” to appeal for mercy. India had rejected the claim, saying that it was proof of Islamabad’s “reticence” to implement the order of the International Court of Justice in “letter and spirit”.
New Delhi also said that he had been coerced by Islamabad to forego his rights to seek implementation of the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
In July last year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had asked Pakistan to review the death sentence of Kulbhushan Jadhav, and suspended his death sentence meanwhile. The court also agreed with India’s stand that Pakistan had violated the Vienna convention by denying consular access to him after his conviction in a “farcical” closed trial.
At a media conference last week, Pakistan’s Attorney General Ahmed Irfan said Kulbhushan Jadhav was invited to file a review petition on June 17. But he “preferred to follow up on his pending mercy petition,” he said. Pakistan, he added, has offered him a second consular access.
“Kulbhushan Jadhav has been sentenced to execution through a farcical trial. He remains under custody of Pakistan’s military. He has clearly been coerced to refuse to file a review in his case,” the foreign ministry said.
“In a brazen attempt to scuttle even the inadequate remedy under the Ordinance, Pakistan has obviously coerced Shri Jadhav to forego his rights to seek an implementation of the judgment of the ICJ,” the ministry said.
In the past Pakistan, while granting consular access, had insisted that English be the medium of language and Pakistani officials be present during the meeting. The deadline for filing a review plea ends on July 20. In May, Pakistan passed an Ordinance to allow a High Court to review the sentence awarded by their military court.
According to the controversial ordinance, Pakistan had clarified that even Indian High commission officials, or a person authorised by Kulbhushan can file for an appeal in the said period and also had offered a consular access.
Pakistan, the foreign ministry said, had claimed that their laws “allowed for effective review and reconsideration” in face of Indian arguments. Now, after almost a year, “they have made a U-turn and issued an Ordinance to ostensibly provide for some sort of review,” a spokesperson of the foreign ministry said.
Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Naval officer, was arrested by Pakistan the March 2016 and accused of “espionage” a charge India rubbished. A year later, a Pakistani military court sentenced him to death. In April 2017, India took Pakistan to the world court and the next month, Mr Jadhav’s execution was stayed.
While Pakistan claimed Mr Jadhav was arrested from Baluchistan, India asserted that he was kidnapped from Iran, where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy. India also accused Pakistan of denying him consular access in violation of the Vienna Convention.
(With Agency Inputs ).
