Kulbhushan Jadhav refused to seek review of his death sentence, says Pakistan

Pakistan has offered India a second consular access to Kulbushan Jadhav, the former Indian Navy officer who is on a death row. He was arrested on charges of espionage in Balochistan in March 2016 and sentenced to death by a military court a year later.

Irfan jointly held the press conference with Director-General of South Asia and SAARC at the Pakistan Foreign Office, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri.

They told the media that Pakistan enacted the International Court of Justice Review and Reconsideration Ordinance, 2020 in May this year which allows review petitions within a certain period of time.

But the officials said that Jadhav has refused to file a review petition against the death sentence awarded to him. Last July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Pakistan to provide consular access to Jadhav and review his death sentence.

He said the government had also repeatedly written to the Indian high commission to file the petition and initiate the process for a review before the deadline.

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

In May 2017, New Delhi petitioned the ICJ, which stayed Jadhav’s execution. In its ruling on July 17, the ICJ said its stay of the death sentence should continue.