NEW DELHI: India turned down Pakistan’s offer for consular access to spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and asked for ‘unimpeded’ access to him.
Pakistan had made an official offer to grant consular access to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav. “As a responsible state, Pakistan will grant consular access to Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav according to Pakistani laws for which modalities are being worked out,” Dr Faisal had said in a statement late on Thursday.
The move came after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on July 17 had allowed India consular access to Jadhav and called Pakistan, by the means of its own choosing, to effectively review and reconsider the conviction and sentence.
Earlier, Raveesh Kumar, a spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs had said, “We have received a proposal from Pakistan. We are evaluating the proposal in the light of the ICJ judgement. We will maintain communication with Pakistan in this matter through diplomatic channels.
“We cannot discuss the modalities. We will assess and evaluate the conditions laid down, keeping in mind the ICJ ruling, and then respond accordingly. Whatever response is to be sent, will be given by us timely through diplomatic channels.”
The ICJ in its ruling found that India’s submission pertaining to the acquittal and release of Jadhav could not be upheld.
According to the ICJ, the conviction and sentence of Jadhav were not to be regarded as a violation of Article 36 of the Vienna Convention.
“As regards India’s claim based on the Vienna Convention, the Court considers that it is not the conviction and sentence of Mr Jadhav which are to be regarded as a violation of the provisions of the Vienna Convention,” read the verdict.
Commander Jadhav — an Indian Navy officer working for Indian covert agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) — was arrested on March 3, 2016, from Balochistan after he entered into Pakistan from Iran.
