India has accepted Pakistan offer for consular access to detained former navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav on Monday. Indian officials are likely to meet Kulbhushan Jadhav today for two hours starting 12 pm.
Government sources said that Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia is expected to meet with Jadhav.
Sources also added that they hope Pakistan officials ensure the “right atmosphere” for the meeting, keeping with the letter and spirit of the ICJ order.
“We hope that Pakistan will ensure right atmosphere so that the meeting is free, fair, meaningful and effective in keeping with the letter and spirit of the ICJ orders,” a top government source said.
The development comes after Pakistan on Sunday said it will grant consular access to Jadhav in accordance with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict on July 17.
The ICJ in its July 17 ruling had put a continued stay on the death sentence handed over to Jadhav by the Pakistan military court for alleged espionage.
ICJ had also asked Islamabad to inform Jadhav of his rights under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention and also grant India consular access.
This verdict by the ICJ had opened up the doors for consular access to Jadhav after numerous failed attempts in the past. There were several differences between New Delhi and Islamabad on the terms of the consular access to the retired navy officer.
Jadhav, 49, was sentenced to death by a Pakistan military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017, following which India had approached the ICJ seeking a stay on the death sentence.
While Pakistan had offered consular access to Jadhav on August 1, there were conditions. It wanted one Pakistan official to be present alongside during the meeting.
On August 2, India had asked Pakistan to provide “unimpeded consular access” to Jadhav after Islamabad had sent the initial proposal for consular access.
Pakistan’s offer had come at a time when Indo-Pak tensions spiked in the backdrop of the abrogation of Article 370, granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir, by the Indian government.
While Pakistan has been trying to raise the issue at an international level, India has clearly maintained that it is an internal matter.
