No second consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav: Pakistan

Islamabad, Sep 12: Pakistan on Thursday blocked the consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court, over charges of spying.

"There would be no second consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav," said Dr Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson, ministry of Pakistan foreign Affairs.

This comes days after an Indian diplomat met Jadhav on September 2 after Islamabad granted consular him in line with the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Jadhav, 49, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" in April 2017, following which India had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking a stay on his death sentence and further remedies. His sentencing evoked a sharp reaction in India.

Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran.

However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.

In a reprieve for Jadhav, a 16-member bench of the International Court of Justice on July 17 by a 15-1 vote continued the stay on the execution and held that Islamabad violated New Delhi's rights to consular visits after his arrest.