Published 21:29 IST, July 16th 2020
Kulbhushan Jadhav ‘visibly under stress’, Pakistan denied unimpeded consular access
Over the past year, India has requested Pakistan more than twelve times to provide unimpeded, unhindered, and unconditional consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav
India on Thursday issued a statement saying that the Pakistan officials with intimidating endeavour were present during consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, who had been arrested by Pakistan on alleged espionage charges and is languishing in jail. This development comes after the consular meeting between Kulbhushan Yadav and India.
This consular access is of utmost importance, as it is the basis for a process of effective review and reconsideration ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July 2019 of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav by a Pakistani military tribunal.
The statement mentioned that in May 2020, Pakistan passed an Ordinance, ostensibly to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice. It inter-alia envisaged the Consular Officer of the High Commission of India filing a petition before a High Court for the relevant review and reconsideration.
"The consular officers were not given unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional access to Kulbhushan Jadhav by Pakistan," said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). "On the contrary, Pakistani officials with an intimidating demeanour were present in close proximity of Jadhav and Consular Officers despite the protests of the Indian side."
"It was also evident from a camera that was visible that the conversation with Jadhav was being recorded. He was visibly under stress and indicated that clearly to the Consular Officers. The arrangements did not permit a free conversation between them," it added.
It was stated that after extensive the Pakistan side conveyed that they were ready to organize consular access on 16 July 2020. We were assured that this consular access would be unimpeded, unhindered, and unconditional. On the basis of this assurance by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, two Consular Officers of the High Commission proceeded to the meeting with Jadhav. Regrettably, however, neither the environment nor the arrangements of the meeting were in accordance with the assurances of Pakistan.
Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs, Anurag Srivastava said that on the basis of assurances provided our officials have proceeded for the meeting on Thursday,
"India has been requesting for an unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav. On the basis of assurances provided our officials have proceeded for the meeting on Thursday," Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava said.
In the light of these circumstances, the Indian Consular Officers came to the conclusion that the consular access being offered by Pakistan was neither meaningful nor credible. After lodging a protest, they left the venue.
Updated 21:29 IST, July 16th 2020