Jadhav refused to file review petition against death sentence, claims Pakistan

Islamabad : Pakistan has offered India second consular access to Kulbushan Jadhav, the Indian Navy officer who has been under arrest in Pakistan on charges of espionage in Balochistan in March 2016 and sentenced to death by a military court a year later.

"In the first round, he met his mother and wife and now we have offered to let him meet his father and wife," Additional Attorney General Ahmed Irfan said in a press conference on Wednesday.

Irfan jointly held a press conference and told that Pakistan enacted the International Court of Justice Review and Reconsideration Ordinance, 2020 in May this year which allows review petitions within a certain period of time.

He also informed that Jadhav has refused to file a review petition against the death sentence awarded to him. Last July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Pakistan to provide consular access to Jadhav and review his death sentence.

“The petitions can be filed before the Islamabad High Court,” explained Irfan, adding that in this case, it can be filed by Jadhav himself, an appointed representative or a consular official of the Indian high commission.

“On June 17 we invited Jadhav to file a petition for the reconsideration of his conviction and offered him legal representation but he refused to file the petition and instead preferred to follow up on his pending mercy petition,” said Irfan.

He mentioned that Pakistan has been notifying Indian High Commission time to time to act and file review petition before the end of deadline.

“Pakistan is fully cognizant of its international obligations and committed to implementing the ICJ judgment in letter and spirit,” he said expressing hope that India will follow due legal course and cooperate with courts in Pakistan to give effect to the ICJ judgement.