NEW DELHI: India on Thursday called for having an Indian lawyer to represent Kulbhushan Jadhav in a Pakistani court when it takes up his review petition against his death sentence, Press Trust of India said on Thursday.

Jadhav was convicted on charges of espionage and terrorism and sentenced to death by a military court.

The Indian news agency quoted External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava as saying India is in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels on the issue.

“For a free and fair trial in keeping with the letter and spirit of ICJ (International Court of Justice) judgement, we have asked for Jadhav to be represented by an Indian lawyer.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson says India is in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels on the issue

“However, Pakistan has to first address the core issues — giving copies of relevant documents of the case and providing unimpeded consular access to Jadhav,” he said.

Srivastava was responding to a question on the issue at an online media briefing, PTI said.

India has been demanding “unimpeded” consular access to Jadhav, saying this was mandated by the ICJ.

Recently, the Islamabad High Court named three senior lawyers as amici curiae in Jadhav’s case and ordered the Pakistan government to give “another chance” to India to appoint a counsel for the death-row prisoner.

In 2017, India approached the ICJ against Pakistan for denial of consular access to Jadhav and challenging the death sentence.

The Hague-based ICJ ruled in July 2019 that Pakistan must undertake an “effective review and reconsideration” of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay, PTI said.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2020