News agency ANI on Thursday mentioned claims made by Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs which stated that Pakistan has provided second consular access to the Indian citizen Kulbhushan Jadhav at the Indian request today. Two consular officers of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad were provided unimpeded and uninterrupted consular access to Jadhav.
Later on it was clarified by the MEA that consular officers were not given unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional access to meet Jadhav adding that Pakistani officials with an intimidating demeanour were present in close proximity of Jadhav and Consular Officers despite the protests of the Indian side.
"The Consular Officers could not engage Kulbhushan Jadhav on his legal rights and were prevented from obtaining his written consent for arranging his legal representation," MEA statement said.
"It was also evident from a camera that was visible that the conversation with Jadhav was being recorded. He was visibly under stress & indicated that clearly to the Consular Officers. The arrangements did not permit a free conversation between them," it said.
"It is clear that Pakistan’s approach to this matter continues to be obstructive & insincere. It has not only violated its assurance to the International Court of Justice to fully implement the 2019 judgement, but also failed to act in accordance with its own Ordinance," MEA said.
"In the light of these circumstances, the Indian Consular Officers came to the conclusion that the consular access being offered by Pakistan was neither meaningful nor credible. After lodging a protest, they left the venue," MEA added.
More in today's development remains awaited as Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava told Indian reporters that "We are yet to hear from our officials who met Kulbhushan Jadhav today in Pakistan. Once they submit the report we will be able to comment."
The move has come after India requested unconditional access to Jadhav ahead of the July 20 deadline to file a review petition in his case.
The 49-year-old Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" in April 2017 following which India had moved the International Court of Justice, seeking a stay on his death sentence and further remedies.
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Last week, Pakistan claimed that Jadhav has refused to file a review petition in the Islamabad High Court against his death sentence and has decided to go ahead with his pending mercy plea.
Pakistan Additional Attorney General Ahmed Irfan has reportedly claimed that on June 17, 2020, Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav was invited to file a petition for review and reconsideration of his sentence and conviction. Exercising his legal right he refused to file a petition for review and reconsideration of his sentence and conviction.
Rubbishing the statement, India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that claims made by Pakistan seeks to mask its continuing reticence to implement ICJ judgment in letter and spirit. He went on to say that Kulbushan Jadhav who has been sentenced to execution through a farcical trial, has been coerced by the Pakistani government to forego his rights to seek implementation of the ICJ judgement.
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Following this, India 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.
It can be recalled that Pakistan had refused to allow Indian officials to meet Jadhav ever since his "arrest" in March 2016 for alleged espionage. In April 2017, he was sentenced to death by a military court, after which India approached the ICJ.
In its July 17 verdict, the ICJ 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.