Kulbhushan Jadhav refused to seek review of his death sentence, says Pakistan

The Pakistan government said on Wednesday (July 8) that Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav has refused to file a review petition and wanted to go ahead with his pending mercy plea.

“He (Kulbhushan Jadhav) preferred to follow up on his pending mercy petition… Pakistan has offered second consular access to him,” news agency ANI quoted Additional Attorney General Ahmed Irfan as saying, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad with the Director-General for South Asia.

Kulbhushan Jadhav was invited on June 17 to file a petition for review of his sentence and conviction.

The Additional Attorney General said Jadhav had refused to file a petition for review and reconsideration of his sentence and conviction.

According to the claims by Islamabad, Kulbhushan Jadhav was allegedly “arrested” from Balochistan by Pakistani security forces on March 3, 2016, after he reportedly entered their country from Iran.

However, India dismissed Pakistan’s allegations about Jadhav’s involvement in spying and subversive activities and said he was kidnapped from the Iranian port of Chabahar, where he had been running a business.

Kulbhushan Jadhav was then sentenced to death by a Pakistan military court in 2017.

Official sources had told ANI in May that India was in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels regarding the implementation of International Court of Justice’s (ICJ’s) decision in Jadhav’s case.

“Last year, the ICJ gave a decision in favour of India. We are in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels on implementation of ICJ decision,” sources had said.

The ICJ, in July, had upheld India’s claim by a vote of 15-1 that Pakistan has committed a violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations on several counts.

The world court had ordered Islamabad to carry out an effective “review and reconsideration” of his conviction.

(With inputs from agencies)