India evaluating Pakistan's proposal of facilitating consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav: MEA

New Delhi: India is evaluating Pakistan's proposal of facilitating consular access to Indian death row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav in the light of the recent verdict by the International Court of Justice, the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.

Pakistan has sent a proposal to India for facilitating consular access to Jadhav.

"We will reply to Pakistan through diplomatic channels," the ministry's spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Last month, the ICJ, in its ruling on the case, directed Pakistan to provide full consular access to Jadhav.

Earlier today (August 1), Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said that Kulbhushan Jadhavwill be granted consular access by Friday. 

Jadhav, 49, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" in April 2017 following which India had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking a stay on his death sentence and further remedies.

"Pakistan is awaiting Indian response after it formally informed the Indian High Commission here," Faisal said at the weekly media briefing.

The move comes two weeks after the ICJ ordered Pakistan on July 17 to undertake an "effective review and reconsideration" of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay.

In its 42-page ruling, the ICJ ruled that Pakistan had "breached" the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, which gives countries the right to consular access when their nationals are arrested abroad.

Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran.

However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy. 

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