Pakistan Has Started Work To Grant Consular Access To Kulbhushan Jadhav: Foreign Office

After the verdict of the International Court of Justice, Pakistan had said modalities are being worked out for granting consular access to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal. (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI / AFP)

New Delhi: Pakistan, on Thursday, said that work has been started for providing consular access to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav. Mohammad Faisal, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson while addressing media-persons stated: “We said (earlier) that consular access will be given and (now) work has been started on that. ” This statement comes days after the International Court of Justice in Hague ordered Islamabad to make an effective review and consideration of Jadhav’s conviction and death sentence given by its military court. Jahdav was sentenced to death by Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in 2017. In a major victory for India, the ICJ ruled Pakistan must review the death sentence awarded to Jadhav and asked it to provide consular access to him. The MEA said India will continue to work vigorously for his early release and return to India. A 16-member bench of the UN Court on July 17, by a 15-1 vote continued the stay on the execution and held that Islamabad violated New Delhi's rights to consular visits after his arrest. After Court’s ruling the Pakistan Foreign Ministry in a late night statement said the modalities are being worked out regarding the same. "As a responsible state, Pakistan will grant consular access to Commander Kulbushan Jadhav according to Pakistani laws, for which modalities are being worked out," it said. The ministry also said that Jadhav had been informed of his rights under the Vienna Convention on consular relations. "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," the Foreign Ministry had said.