One Day After Being Humbled At ICJ, Pakistan Says It Will Grant Consular Access To Kulbhushan Jadhav

After the verdict of International Court of Justice (ICJ) that reprimanded Pakistan’s conduct in Kulbhushan Jadhav case, the Islamic republic has decided to grant consular access to him, reports Zee News.

“Pursuant to the decision of the ICJ, Commander Kulbushan Jadhav has been informed of his rights under Article 36, Paragraph 1(b) of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. As a responsible state, Pakistan will grant consular access to Commander Kulbushan Jadhav according to Pakistani laws, for which modalities are being worked out,” said Pakistan`s Foreign Office in an official statement on Thursday.

The ICJ on Wednesday (17 July) suspended Jadhav’s death sentence awarded by a Pakistani military court. The court also upheld India's claim that Pakistan violated the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations on several counts by 15-1 votes.

Pakistan claims that the 49-year-old Indian citizen was arrested in March 2016 from Balochistan on charges of terrorism and spying, and was later awarded death sentence by a Pakistani military court.

In 2017, Indian foreign ministry said that Jadhav had been "kidnapped last year from Iran and his subsequent presence in Pakistan has never been explained credibly". According to Indian officials, Jadhav owned a cargo business in Iran and had been working out of Bandar Abbas and Chabahar ports.