Pakistan to provide consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav on Monday

Pakistan on Sunday said it will grant consular access to Kulbhushan Jhav, who is on death row in country, on Monday "in line with ICJ judgement". 

anuncement came nearly six months after a meeting between Indian officials and Kulbhushan Jhav did t materialise amid differences between New Delhi and Islamab on terms of consular access to retired Indian navy officer.

Kulbhushan Jhav, 49, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "espion and terrorism" in April 2017, following which India h moved International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking a stay on his death sentence and furr remedies.

"Consular access for Indian spy Commander Kulbhushan Jhav, a serving Indian naval officer and RAW operative, is being provided on Monday 2 September 2019, in line with Vienna Convention on Consular relations, ICJ judgement & laws of Pakistan," Foreign Office Spokesman Mohamm Faisal tweeted.

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"Commander Jhav remains in Pakistan's custody, for espion, terrorism and sabot," he ded.

Earlier, dressing a weekly media briefing on Thursday, Faisal said that Pakistan and India were in contact on "issue of granting consular access" to Kulbhushan Jhav. 

On same day, India said it h asked for "immediate, effective and unhindered" consular access to Kulbhushan Jhav from Pakistan and was in touch with neighbouring country through diplomatic channels.

However, Faisal's tweets on Sunday doesn't say if consular access is unhindered as demanded by India.

On August 1, Pakistan Foreign Office said retired Indian Navy officer on death row will be granted consular access next day. However, meeting, which was scheduled for 3 pm on August 2, did t materialise amid differences between India and Pakistan on terms of consular access to Kulbhushan Jhav.  

On July 17, ICJ ordered Pakistan to undertake an "effective review and reconsideration" of conviction and sentence of Kulbhushan Jhav and also to grant consular access to India without furr delay.

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One of conditions put by Pakistan reportedly was presence of a Pakistani official when Jhav is allowed to meet Indian officials as part of consular access. India did t agree to condition, making clear its position that consular access must be "unimpeded" and should be in light of judgement by ICJ.

Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Kulbhushan Jhav from restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016, after he reportedly entered from Iran. However, India maintains that Kulbhushan Jhav was kidnapped from Iran where he h business interests after retiring from Navy.