India seeks consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav

Pakistan has ignored consular access to KulbhushanJadhav for 16 times will they accept India's consular access to Mumbai resident arrested in Islamabad.

New Delhi, May 23: India, this time has sought consular access to Sheikh Nabi Ahmed, a person from Mumbai who was arrested in Pakistan last week.

The Indian High Commission has written to Pakistan's counterpart in this regard and has also sought details regarding the arrest as there has been no official confirmation or communication from Islamabad regarding his arrest.

It is to recall that an Indian national was arrested from the F-8 area of Islamabad under the Margalla police station on Sunday, over allegedly living in the Pakistan capital without proper permission or travel documents.

After his arrest, a case under Article 14 of the Foreign Act was filed against him and was sent to 14-day judicial custody.

According to the complaint registered against him, Ahmed hails from Mumbai in India was staying in Pakistan without any Visa or an NOC.

The incident came to light amid heated environment between India and Pakistan over the death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian by a Pakistan military court. It is to recall that Pakistan has denied consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav for 16 times.

After several attempts on consular access to Jadhav and even warning bilateral ties damage between the countries, India finally approached the International Court of Justice in this regard, which recently stayed the death sentence until the final decision.

Soon after ICJ verdict on Jadhav, Pakistan refused to grant consular access to former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav. India has demanded consular access to Jadhav 16 times since his arrest on charges of espionage. The ICJ order makes no mention of the consular access.

Advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, said it is wrong to say that Islamabad had lost the case at ICJ while asserting that it would strengthen legal team representing the nation at ICJ.

There was a paucity of time earlier, we will strengthen our legal team for the next time...Wrong to say Pak lost at ICJ, the court stayed the execution, didn't order on consular access to Jadhav," ANI quoted Aziz as saying.

Pakistan on Friday moved the International Court of Justice to re-hear Jadhav case.

Irked by International Court of Justice's ruling in the case, Pakistan on Thursday lashed out at India for presenting former navy officer's case from a humanitarian angle.

The ICJ held that it would give a ruling on the merits of the case and until such time the former naval officer accused by Pakistan of being a spy cannot be hanged. The final order of the ICJ is expected in August. The court held that the circumstances of Jadhav's arrest remains disputed.

Pakistan shall take all measures at its disposal to ensure that no execution takes place until the disposal of the petition, the ICJ held.

The ICJ held that consular access is a right and Pakistan should have accorded the same to India.

Pakistan had contended that this would not be applicable in cases of espionage and terrorism.

OneIndia News