Will Do Anything to Bring Back Kulbhushan Jadhav, Says India in Reply to ICJ
Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Kulbhushan Jadhav from restive Balochistan province on March 3 in 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran while India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.
File photo of Kulbhushan Jadhav. (Image: TV Grab)
New Delhi: In its reply to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands, India on Tuesday reiterated its stance to bring back its national Kulbhushan Jadhav from Pakistan jail and protect his rights.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "As per the court order, India had filed written pleadings (Memorial) in the case on 13 September 2017 and Pakistan filed its Counter Memorial on 13 December 2017. Today, India filed its reply to Pakistan's submissions to the court. Pakistan has been given time till 17 July 2018 by the court to file its response (Rejoinder)."
This, the MEA spokesperson noted, comes almost a year after India approached the ICJ on May 8 last year. India had then approached the ICJ for egregious violation of the provisions of the Vienna Convention on consular relations, 1963 by the Islamic republic.
On May 18, the ICJ had passed an order restricting Pakistan from going ahead with the death penalty it had handed to Jadhav on charges of espionage. Almost six months after that, his family, including his wife and mother were allowed to meet him for which they travelled to Islamabad.
Earlier this year, in February, Pakistan said that India has not responded to its queries on the passport of the death-row prisoner and details of his service, calling it "regrettable".
Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal said that Pakistan arrested "serving Indian Naval Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav", who confessed to his involvement in numerous terrorist incidents in Pakistan.
Pakistan claims its security forces arrested him from restive Balochistan province on March 3 in 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 Indian Navy.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "As per the court order, India had filed written pleadings (Memorial) in the case on 13 September 2017 and Pakistan filed its Counter Memorial on 13 December 2017. Today, India filed its reply to Pakistan's submissions to the court. Pakistan has been given time till 17 July 2018 by the court to file its response (Rejoinder)."
This, the MEA spokesperson noted, comes almost a year after India approached the ICJ on May 8 last year. India had then approached the ICJ for egregious violation of the provisions of the Vienna Convention on consular relations, 1963 by the Islamic republic.
On May 18, the ICJ had passed an order restricting Pakistan from going ahead with the death penalty it had handed to Jadhav on charges of espionage. Almost six months after that, his family, including his wife and mother were allowed to meet him for which they travelled to Islamabad.
Earlier this year, in February, Pakistan said that India has not responded to its queries on the passport of the death-row prisoner and details of his service, calling it "regrettable".
Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal said that Pakistan arrested "serving Indian Naval Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav", who confessed to his involvement in numerous terrorist incidents in Pakistan.
Pakistan claims its security forces arrested him from restive Balochistan province on March 3 in 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 Indian Navy.