Pakistan has invited India for the September 3 proceedings at the Islamabad high court in Kulbhushan Jhadav case and offered "unimpeded and unhindered" consular access with no mandatory use of English as a medium for conversation. The Pakistani government also conveyed that New Delhi can appoint a lawyer of its own choice to fight the case.
Pakistan has invited India for the September 3 proceedings at the Islamabad high court in Kulbhushan Jhadav case and offered "unimpeded and unhindered" consular access with no mandatory use of English as a medium for conversation.
The Pakistani government in the latest offer to India on Thursday evening also conveyed that New Delhi can appoint a lawyer of its own choice to fight the case.
The Pak proposal for consular access said it was willing to give "unimpeded" and "unhindered" access without any "glass barrier" and conversation that can happen in any language. This is a departure from the previous stance of the Pakistani government when it said, the mode of language for talks between Jhadav and Indian Diplomats should be only English.
The Pakistani offer is in light of the Islamabad High Court order. The court, while taking up Pakistani government's petition for appointment of its own lawyer, said India should be "authorized" to arrange a lawyer for the case. The next date of the case is September 3.
Speaking to media outside the court on Monday, Pakistani Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan said, "Court said if India wants to engage A lawyer, it can do. Federal government also wants that. Only Pakistani lawyers can be allowed."
In the month of May, Pakistan had come up with an ordinance to implement the International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict of last year. Under the ordinance, India on behalf of Jhadav can file review for the case. In fact, New Delhi had appointed a Pakistani lawyer to fight the case in Pakistan court but the person was not given relevant legal document.
India tried to file a petition on July 18, just two days before the ordinance expires, but in absence of power of attorney and supporting legal documents, this could not be done. While Pakistan had called Indian diplomats to meet Jhadav terming as "consular access" before the ordinance expired, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that the meet was scuttled by Pakistan authorities.
"The Consular Officers were instructed not to hand over any document to Shri Jadhav. Hence, the Indian Consular Officers could not obtain a Power of Attorney from Shri Jadhav," the MEA said.
India maintains that Jadhav was abducted by Pakistani agencies from Iran and New Delhi was first informed about his custody by Pakistani authorities on March 25, 2016. A Pakistani military court awarded Jadhav a death sentence in 2017.
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 "File Photo: Kulbhushan Jhadav")
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