India asks Pakistan to allow Kulbhushan Jadhav be represented by an Indian lawyer

New Delhi, Aug 20: India on Thursday asked Pakistan to address core issues, including involving the provision of relevant documents & providing unimpeded consular access to former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Speaking at a weekly briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said,''We are in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels. We believe for a free & fair trial in keeping with the letter & spirit of ICJ [International Court of Justice] judgment in Kulbhushan Jadhav case, we have asked that Jadhav be represented by an Indian lawyer.''

''However, it is important that Pakistan needs to address the core issues; these issues involve the provision of relevant documents & providing unimpeded consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav,''Srivastava said.

India had said last month that Pakistan has blocked all its efforts to seek legal remedies for Jadhav, who was arrested by Pakistani security agencies in Balochistan in March 2016 and charged with involvement in spying. It has also accused Pakistan of violating the ICJ's judgement.

New Delhi has rejected all allegations levelled against Jadhav and said he was kidnapped by Pakistani operatives from the Iranian port of Chabahar, where he was running a business.