Kulbhushan Jadhav case: Pakistan's new game on ICJ decision, permission to meet father

Islamabad, Ta. 8 July 2020, Wednesday

Pakistan has invited access to India's second councilor in the case of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is lodged in its jail. At the same time, Pakistan has allowed Kulbhushan's father to meet his son. At the same time, Pakistan has claimed that Jadhav has refused to file a review petition and wants his mercy petition to be taken forward.

"On June 17, Jadhav was called to file a reconsideration petition but he refused to come," Zahid Hafiz Chaudhry, a Pakistani foreign ministry official, said on Wednesday. At the same time, he insisted that his mercy petition be forwarded.

Earlier, Pakistan had said that it was taking steps to ensure a review of the Kulbhushan Jadhav case in the light of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) decision. The ICJ in The Hague ruled in July last year that Pakistan should effectively review and reconsider Jadhav's conviction and sentence.

He also asked Pakistan to provide immediate diplomatic access to Jadhav. Jadhav, 49, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April 2017 on charges of espionage and terrorism.

India then approached the ICJ and challenged Pakistan's decision not to allow Jadhav's sentence and diplomatic access. India has always said that Jadhav was abducted from Iran. After retirement, Jadhav was running his own business there. Pakistan no longer allows a reconsideration petition to be filed against the ICJ's decision.