India Asks Pakistan To Give Unconditional Access To Kulbhushan Jadhav

Last Thursday, India said it is mulling all legal options in the case related to Jadhav, who faces a death sentence in Pakistan and assured that it is fully committed in its resolve to protecting the life of Indian nationals.

Indian Charge d' Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia met Kulbhushan Jadhav on September 2 at a Pakistani sub-jail for over an hour, after Islamabad granted consular access to the Indian national, on September 2.

The Government Of  India has asked Pakistan to give unconditional access to Kulbhushan Jadhav. This major development comes on the back of Pakistan's earlier claim that Jadhav had refused to file a review plea following which India claimed he had been forced to do that. Last Thursday, India said it is mulling all legal options in the case related to Jadhav, who is faces a death sentence in Pakistan and assured that it is fully committed in its resolve to protecting the life of Indian nationals.

India has asked Pakistan to give unconditional access to Kulbhushan Jadhav: Sources

Earlier Pakistan had claimed that he had refused to file a review plea. India said that he had been coerced into doing that. — ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2020

Pakistan had earlier claimed that Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, refused to initiate review petition of his sentence and conviction. “We had pointed out how Pakistan's claim that Kulbushan Jadhav has refused to initiate a review petition, is a continuation of the farce playing out for the last 4 years. We are assessing our legal options and we remain committed to protecting the life of our Indian nationals,” said MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava during a media briefing. India has sought access to Jadhav to discuss his remedies under the Ordinance which allowed the High Court to review the sentence awarded by Pakistan’s military court. “Jadhav has been sentenced to execution through a farcical trial. He remains under custody of Pakistan's military. He has clearly been coerced to refuse to file a review in his case,” Srivastava had said in the statement. In July last year, the International Court of Justice (IJC) had directed Pakistan to review the death sentence of Kulbhushan Jadhav, and suspended his death sentence. The court also supported India's charge that Pakistan had violated the Vienna convention by denying consular access to him after his conviction in a "farcical" closed trial.