Kulbhushan Jadhav case: MEA calls ICJ verdict 'complete vindication and validation of India's position'

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case was “a complete vindication and validation of India’s position”. “We have welcomed the judgment. It is a complete vindication and validation of India’s position in this case,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. “If you look at the press release issued by the ICJ, the headline is very clear. It says that Pakistan has acted in breach of obligations incumbent by the Vienna Convention,” he added. “The court directs Pakistan to act in accordance with the Vienna Convention and provide Indian consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav and inform him of his rights,” Kumar said. “It puts a continued stay on the execution of Mr Jadhav.” [caption id=“attachment_5525761” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. Twitter @MEAIndia[/caption] On the issue of Pakistan interpreting the judgment as a victory for the country, Kumar said, “Frankly, it seems to me that they are reading from a completetly different verdict. If they do not have the patience to go through all the 42 pages, they should go through the seventh page, where it is clearly seen that the judgment has gone in India’s favour.” “The very first paragraph says that the judgment is final and binding,” he said. “Pakistan has its own compulsions to lie to its people,” he added. India has warned Pakistan that its conduct will be under watch and any “farcical attempts” claiming to implement the ICJ’s order in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case would mean going back to the world court or the UN Security Council for remedies. Jadhav, 49, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of “espionage and terrorism” in April 2017 based on an “extracted confession”. India had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, to seek a stay on his death sentence and further remedies. A 16-member bench headed by President of the Court, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, by 15-1 votes ordered Pakistan on Wednesday to undertake an “effective review and reconsideration” of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav. “It is a good moment for us to help Jadhav get justice and ensure he gets a fair trial,” India’s lead counsel in the case, Harish Salve, told reporters in London on Wednesday in the the wake of the judgment. Salve indicated that the next steps would involve access to the Indian national by India’s consular officials in Pakistan, who will then be able to ensure he gets full legal representation. With inputs from PTI