Pakistan will allow consular access to Jadhav: FO

ISLAMABAD: The foreign office stated on Thursday that it would allow consular access to be granted to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jhadav.

The statement from the foreign office comes one day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that India should be granted consular access to the spy. However, India was denied the acquittal and release of the R&AW spy.

“As a responsible state, Pakistan will grant consular access to Commander Kulbushan Jadhav according to Pakistani laws, for which modalities are being worked out,” read out a statement from the foreign office.

The FO stated that Kulbhushan Jhadav had been informed about his rights under Article 36 of paragraph 1(b) of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

In its ruling, the ICJ had asked Pakistan to ensure effective review and reconsideration of his conviction and sentences.
As soon as the verdict of the case was announced, both India and Pakistan claimed victories. Prime Minister of both India and Pakistan thanked the ICJ for the fair verdict.

While India saw its victory in the granting of consular access to the spy, Pakistan claimed that it had won on the basis that the ICJ had not agreed to the acquittal or release of Jadhav.

“He is guilty of crimes against the people of Pakistan. Pakistan shall proceed further as per law,” Prime Minister Khan had tweeted, on Thursday after the verdict.

In April 2017, Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had signed off on the death penalty of the Indian spy. In May 2017, Kulbhushan Jadhav had filed a mercy petition against the verdict.

India claims that Kulbhushan Jadhav is an innocent businessman who was kidnapped by Pakistani authorities from Iran and tortured into admitting that he was an Indian spy.

Iran has refused to confirm India’s version of the events. Pakistan denies India’s claims and says that Jadhav was provided an Indian passport with a Muslim name to conceal the real nature of his operations.

Pakistan claimed that Jadhav had been sent by R&AW to carry out subversive activities in Balochistan and Karachi.