Indian envoy, Pak Foreign Office official meet over Kulbhushan's access

Kulbushan Jadhav

Islamabad: On Monday morning, Gaurav Ahluwalia, India's Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan reached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hold a meeting with Mohammad Faisal , its spokesperson over the grant of consular access to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav. The meeting between Ahluwalia and Faisal is underway. According to news agency, ANI, New Delhi today hoped that Islamabad will ensure the right atmosphere for a free and fair meeting in keeping with the letter and spirit of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) orders, Indian government sources said earlier. "India has been seeking consular access to Kulbushan Jadhav for the last three years. The matter of denial of consular access was taken to ICJ by India. The court gave a unanimous decision in favour of India. Today, after victory in the ICJ, India will be proceeding for consular access to Jadhav," they said.

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"India's Charge d'Affaires, Gaurav Ahluwalia, will be meeting Jadhav. We hope that Pakistan will ensure the right atmosphere so that the meeting is free, fair, meaningful and effective in keeping with the letter and spirit of the ICJ orders," government sources stated. Pakistan announced on Sunday that it will grant consular access to the retired Indian Navy officer, who was sentenced by a Pakistan military court to death on the basis of extracted confession of "espionage and terrorism" after a closed trial in April 2017. The access will be provided in line with the verdict of the ICJ delivered on July 17.

Also Read: Pakistan offers consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav

"Consular access for...Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav is being provided on Monday 2 September 2019, in line with Vienna Convention on Consular relations, ICJ (International Court of Justice) judgment & the laws of Pakistan," Mohammad Faisal, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson tweeted. India on August 30 reiterated that it sought "immediate, effective and unhindered" consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav and was in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels. "We are in touch with the Pakistani side through diplomatic channels. You are aware that based on the judgment of the International Court of Justice we have asked for immediate, effective and unhindered access. Let us see the kind of response we receive from the Pakistani side," Raveesh Kumar, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson had said in a weekly media briefing.

Also Read: Pakistan to grant consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav today

In a major diplomatic victory for India, the ICJ had asked Pakistan in July to comply with the Vienna Conventions and provide consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav and to ensure "effective review and reconsideration of his conviction and sentences". Pakistani security forces claim Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan, even as he was kidnapped from Iran, where he owned a cargo business. He was sentenced on April 11, 2017, to death by a Pakistani military court. India approached the ICJ against Pakistan on May 8, 2017," for egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963" in the matter.

With inputs from ANI

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