New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: Indian envoy Gaurav Ahluwalia on Monday met former Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav -- who is sentenced to death in Pakistan over allegations of spying and terrorism -- after Islamabad allowed consular access to him.
India on Monday accepted Pakistan’s offer of consular access to Jadhav and had said that New Delhi hopes that Islamabad will ensure the right atmosphere so that the meeting is free, fair and meaningful.
“India's Charge d'affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia will be meeting Kulbhushan Jadhav. We hope that Pakistan will ensure the right atmosphere so that the meeting is free, fair, meaningful and effective in keeping with the letter and spirit of the ICJ's orders,” ANI quoted government officials as saying.
The development comes after Pakistan on Sunday said that it would grant India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav on Monday.
“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 and the laws of Pakistan,” said Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal in a Tweet on Sunday.
“Commander Jadhav remains in Pakistan's custody, for espionage, terrorism and sabotage,” Faisal said in another Tweet.
Jadhav, a former naval officer has been sentenced to death by a military court alleged for ‘espionage and terrorism’ following which India moved to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). India continues to say that Jadhav was abducted from Iran where he was running his business.
However, Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016, after he reportedly entered from Iran.
Meanwhile the ICJ, in July, had asked Pakistan to ensure "effective review and reconsideration of his conviction and sentences".
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The judgment was ruled in favour of India when Pakistan was asked by the UN's highest judicial body to comply with the Vienna Conventions and provide consular access to Jadhav.
Pakistan had offered the consular access to Jadhav on August 1 but there were conditions. It wanted one Pakistan official to be present alongside during the meeting.
India did not agree to the condition, making clear its position that the consular access must be "unimpeded" and should be in the light of the judgment by the ICJ.