Pakistan To Grant Consular Access To Kulbhushan Jadhav Today; MEA Says Proposal Being Evaluated

Last week, Pakistan’s Foreign Office had announced that work in the direction to provide Jadhav access to a consul has been started.

Kulbhushan Jadhav

New Delhi: The government of Pakistan has decided to grant consular access to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav on Friday, weeks after the ruling by the International Court of Justice. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Thursday said: "The proposal sent by Pakistan is being evaluated by us as per the guidelines given by ICJ. Whatever response is to be sent will be given by us timely through diplomatic channels." As per Dunya News,  Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson announced that Jadhav will be granted consular access on Friday and that the Indian High Commission has been informed and a formal response is awaited, said the report.

Raveesh Kumar, MEA on Pakistan offering India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav: The proposal sent by Pakistan is being evaluated by us as per the guidelines given by ICJ. Whatever response is to be sent will be given by us timely through diplomatic channels.

— ABP News (@ABPNews) August 1, 2019

Last week, Pakistan’s Foreign Office had announced that work in the direction to provide Jadhav access to a consul has been started. International Court of Justice in Hague in its ruling 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 what could be termed as a victory for India,  the ICJ ruled Pakistan must review the death sentence awarded to Jadhav and asked it to provide consular access to him. 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. The court had asked Pakistan to immediately inform Jadhav of his rights under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention and grant India consular access. Pakistan was directed to immediately inform Jadhav of his rights under Article 36, grant India consular access and then review the case. Article 36 of the Vienna Convention states that when a national of a foreign country is arrested, he must be informed of the right to have their country's consulate notified and the right to regular consultation with their consulate's officials during their detention and trial.