ISLAMABAD: Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Indian spy on a death row, has refused to file a petition for "review and reconsideration" in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and instead insisted on the mercy petition he filed on April 17, 2017 to be considered.
This was stated by Director General South Asia and SAARC at the Foreign Office Zahid Hafeez, and Additional Attorney General of Pakistan Ahmad Irfan, while speaking at a news conference on Wednesday.
The DG South Asia said the government of Pakistan enacted an ordinance on May 20, 2020 to provide opportunity to the Indian spy, Kulbhushan Jadhav, to file a petition for "review and reconsideration" against his sentence and conviction as per the International Court of Justice (ICJ) July 17, 2019 verdict.
On June 17, 2020, he added that Jadhav was invited to file a petition for "review and reconsideration" of his sentence and conviction to exercise his legal right.
"But he [Jadhav] refused to file a petition for the review and reconsideration and instead insisted on his mercy petition to be considered," he added.
He pointed out that a petition for "review and reconsideration" could be filed by Jadhav, his legally authorised representative or a consular officer of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad at the IHC.
He further said Pakistan had offered India to assist in arranging legal representative for Jadhav, adding Pakistan had repeatedly written to the Indian High Commission inviting it to initiate the process of review and reconsideration of the sentence and conviction of the RAW agent.
"Instead of using dilatory tactics and playing politics over the issue, India should follow the due legal course and cooperate with the courts in Pakistan to give effect to the judgment of the ICJ," he said, adding Pakistan was fully cognizant of its international obligations and committed to implementing the ICJ judgment on Kulbhushan Jadhav. With regard to the consular access to Jadhav, he said Pakistan had offered second consular access to India, adding the government of Pakistan had also offered a meeting of Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife and father as well.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.