Pakistan to grant consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav today

Pakistan on Monday will grant consular access to retired Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was sentenced to death by the Pakistan military court on the basis of extracted confession of "espionage and terrorism" after a closed trial in April 2017.

The access will be provided in line with the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered on July 17.

"Consular access for...Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav is being provided on Monday 2 September 2019, in line with Vienna Convention on Consular relations, ICJ (International Court of Justice) judgment & the laws of Pakistan," Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Faisal wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

On August 30, India reiterated that it sought "immediate, effective and unhindered" consular access to Jadhav and was in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels.

"We are in touch with the Pakist side through diplomatic channels. You are aware that based on the judgement of the International Court of Justice we have asked for immediate, effective and unhindered access. Let us see the kind of response we receive from the Pakist side," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said in a weekly media briefing.

The ICJ, in July, had asked Pakistan to ensure "effective review and reconsideration of his conviction and sentences".

The judgement was ruled in favour of India when Pakistan was asked by the UN's highest judicial body to comply with the Vienna Conventions and provide consular access to Jadhav.

Pakist security forces claim Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan in March 2016, even as he was kidnapped from Iran, where he owned a cargo business.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakist military court on April 11, 2017.

India, on May 8, 2017, approached the ICJ against Pakistan "for egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963" in the matter.

New Delhi said that the use of military courts for the trial of civilians is violative of due process standards of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and also of the minimum standards recognised as principles of international law.

The Indian national was even denied the right to be defended by a legal counsel of his choice.

India contended that it was not informed of Jadhav's detention until long after his arrest and that Pakistan had failed to inform the former naval officer of his rights.

( With inputs from ANI )