India evaluating Pakistan’s ‘proposal’ of consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav through diplomatic channels

New Delhi, August 1: With speculations mounting on Pakistan granting consular access of Kulbhushan Jadhav on Friday; India asserted that it has received a ‘proposal’ by Pakistan and that it is evaluating Pakistan's proposal of facilitating consular access to Indian death row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav in the light of the recent verdict by the International Court of Justice.

 

Addressing a press conference, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that Pakistan has given a proposal on consular access and India will reply to them considering the verdict given by ICJ on diplomatic grounds. There were media reports earlier which stated that Islamabad had agreed to grant New Delhi consular access to Jadhav on Friday, and was discussing modalities.

 

Pakistan had agreed to grant consular access a day after the International Court of Justice concluded that it had violated the Vienna Convention in its treatment of Jadhav. The court found that Pakistan had breached international laws by not providing India consular access to Jadhav, and ordered Islamabad not to execute him at the moment.

However, the court rejected India’s demands for Jadhav’s release, and instead said Pakistan would have to decide how to review his trial and conviction. Both India and Pakistan claimed the court’s verdict as their victories.