Pakistan allows Kulbhushan Jadhav appeal death sentence

Pakistan Army has allowed Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav to file an appeal in a civilian court, as per the conditions of the International Court of Justice. Indians are currently celebrating the decision and is considering it as a victory over Pakistan.

On charges of ‘espionage and terrorism’, the military court of Pakistan has sentenced Jadhav to death, in 2017. But India has condemned it saying that Jadhav was on his business trip to Iran, when he was nabbed by Pakistani security forces.

This condradiction has led to the intervention of the International Court of Justice. The court said that Pakistan ‘deprived India of the right to communicate with and have access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, to visit him in detention and to arrange for his legal representation’.

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Pakistani foreign office has released a statement that reads, “Consular access was provided at 1200 hours and lasted for two (02) hours, in the presence of officials of the Government of Pakistan… On Indian request, there was no restriction on the language of communication. In order to ensure transparency and in line with standard operating procedures, and as conveyed to the Indian side in advance, the access was recorded.”