New Delhi is considering its response to Pakistan’s offer of granting consular access to Indian death row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav on Friday.
“We have received a proposal from Pakistan. We are at this point of time evaluating the proposal in the light of the judgement of the International Court of Justice. We will maintain communication with Pakistan in this matter through diplomatic channels,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a weekly media briefing.
Charged with espionage and terrorism, 49-year-old Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April 2017 following which India had moved the ICJ.
The Hague-based ICJ last week ordered Pakistan to grant consular access to Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer, without further delay and undertake an “effective review and reconsideration” of the conviction and sentence awarded to him.
On whether Pakistan has put some conditions for granting consular access to Jadhav, Kumar refused to give a direct answer.
“I do not think this is the appropriate forum for me to get into the kind of modalities which are being discussed between India and Pakistan,” he said.
There were reports that Pakistan has put a condition that a Pakistani official will have to be present when Jadhav is given consular access. Sources said Pakistan set the proposal to India through Indian High Commission in Islamabad three days ago.
News agency PTI reports from Islamabad that Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said his Government was awaiting India’s response to the proposal if granting consular access to Jadhav.
Following the ICJ’s order, India has asked Pakistan to grant full consular access to Jadhav at the earliest in “full compliance and conformity” of the world court’s verdict.
In its 42-page order, the court, while rejecting Pakistan’s objection to admissibility of the Indian application in the case, held that “a continued stay of execution constitutes an indispensable condition for the effective review” of the sentence of Jadhav.
The Bench, however, rejected some remedies sought by India, including annulment of the military court’s decision convicting Jadhav, his release and safe passage to India.
