Granting consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav won't impact sentence, says lawyer

LAHORE: The government’s decision to provide consular access to convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav will have no bearing on the sentence handed to him on charges of espionage and subversive activities, Barrister Khawar Qureshi said on Monday.

Qureshi had represented Pakistan at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Jadhav case.

Speaking to media at the Punjab Bar Council, Lahore, he said following provision of consular access, the Indian spy should move an appeal against his punishment in a Pakistani high court under Article 199 of the Constitution.

Barrister Qureshi explained the ICJ, upholding the sentence awarded to Jadhav, had turned down India’s plea for his release and repatriation.

To a question, he said the government was evolving a strategy in the wake of the current situation in India-held Kashmir.

“The government is mulling over taking the Kashmir issue to the ICJ,” he said, declining to discuss the matter further.

Earlier today, Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia met convicted spy Kulbhushan Jadhav at a sub-jail in Islamabad.

The meeting came on the heels of Pakistan’s decision to provide consular access to the Indian spy.

The Foreign Ministry had on Sept 1 announced: “Consular access for Indian spy Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, 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 judgment & the laws of Pakistan.”