Kulbhushan Jadhav Case: India in Touch with Pakistan over Implementation of ICJ Verdict

India is in touch with Pakistan in ensuring implementation of the verdict by the International Court of Justice in the case relating to Indian death-row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav, official sources said on May 6, 2020. Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death. Pakistani military court sentenced him on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017. Weeks later, India approached the ICJ against Pakistan. This was for denial of consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav and challenging the death sentence.

In its verdict in the case on July 17, 2019, the ICJ ordered Pakistan to undertake an “effective” review; of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav. The International Court of Justice asked Pakistan to grant consular access to him without further delay. “Last year the ICJ gave a decision in favour of India. We are in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels on implementation of ICJ decision“, sources said.  However, the world court had ordered Islamabad to carry out an effective “review and reconsideration” of his conviction.

Explicitly, Pakistani security forces purportedly “arrested” Jadhav from Balochistan on March 3, 2016, after he allegedly entered the country from Iran as claimed by Islamabad. India has rejected Pakistan’s allegations about Jadhav’s involvement in spying and subversive activities.  Moreover, Kulbhushan Jadhav claims that the Pakistani Forces kidnapped him from the Iranian port of Chabahar where he ran a business.