This Article is From Sep 12, 2019

"There'll Be No Second Consular Access To Kulbhushan Jadhav": Pakistan

Kulbhushan Jadhav Case: Pakistan had first offered the consular access to Kulbhushab Jadhav on August 2 but India had insisted the consular access should be "effective and unhindered."

'There'll Be No Second Consular Access To Kulbhushan Jadhav': Pakistan

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

Islamabad:

Pakistan on Thursday said that India would not get second consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, the former Naval officer sentenced to death in Pakistan.

"There would be no second consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav," said Dr Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Pakistan had first offered the consular access to Kulbhushab Jadhav on August 2 but India had insisted the consular access should be "effective and unhindered."

On September 2, India's Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan Gaurav Ahluwalia met Mr Jadhav in the presence of Pakistani officials. It was a recorded meeting.

A formal report on the two-hour meeting is yet to come out, bur Mr Ahluwalia said it was "clear that Shri Jadhav appeared to be under extreme pressure to parrot a false narrative to bolster Pakistan's untenable claims".

Kulbhushan Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in 2017 and was accused of espionage and terrorism. Pakistan said he was arrested from the restive Balochistan province, where he was working as a spy for the external intel agency.

A month after the sentencing, India took Pakistan to the International Court, calling the trial farcical.

In July, in a verdict in india's favour, the UN court said the death sentence should remain suspended until Pakistan effectively reviewed and reconsidered the conviction.

Earlier, Islamabad had repeatedly refused India's request for consular access, claiming spies are not allowed such privileges under an agreement made with India in 2008.

India has maintained that Kulbhushan Jadhav was kidnapped from Iranian port of Chabahar, where he was running a business.

(With Inputs From ANI)

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