Pakistan grants consular access to Indian spy Jadhav

–Indian FO spokesman says New Delhi ‘evaluating proposal in light of ICJ judgement’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to grant consular access to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav in accordance with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal announced on Thursday.

Jadhav will be granted consular access on Friday, he said, adding that Pakistan has informed the Indian High Commission (IHC) and is awaiting a formal response.

Speaking in New Delhi, Indian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Raveesh Kumar confirmed that they had received a proposal from Pakistan.

“We have received a proposal from Pakistan. We are evaluating the proposal in the light of [the] ICJ judgement,” The Economic Times quoted him as saying.

Kumair said India will “maintain communication with Pakistan in this matter through diplomatic channels”.

The ICJ in its ruling in July put on continued stay the death sentence to Jadhav by a military court for espionage. The court had asked Pakistan to inform Jadhav of his rights under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention and grant India consular access.

The court, however, had rejected India’s plea for Jadhav’s acquittal, ruling that the incarcerated Indian spy be allowed consular access immediately and asking Pakistan to ensure “effective review and reconsideration of his conviction and sentences”.

The ICJ had also rejected all other remedies sought by India, which included the annulment of the military court decision convicting Jadhav, restricting Pakistani from executing the sentence, securing Jadhav’s release and ordering his return to India.

The ICJ had said that even though it had found Pakistan in violation of Article 36 the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR), “it is not the conviction and sentence of Mr Jadhav which are to be regarded as a violation of Article 36 of the Vienna Convention.”

Article 36 of the Vienna Convention states that when a national of a foreign country is arrested, he must be informed of the right to have their country’s consulate notified and the right to regular consultation with their consulate’s officials during their detention and trial.

Jadhav was arrested on March 3, 2016, in a counter-intelligence operation in Balochistan. A military court awarded him death sentence on April 10, 2017, following his confession that he had mounted operations for India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) to conduct terrorist activities on Pakistani soil.