The International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s verdict directing Pakistan to “review and reconsider” the conviction and death sentence of Kulbhushan Jadhav is baffling on several counts (Front page, “Review Jadhav sentence, grant consular access, ICJ tells Pak.,” July 18). Despite having held unequivocally that Islamabad committed gross violation of both the Vienna Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it is surprising that the court still thought it fit to only suspend the execution, instead of annulling the sentence. Also, by refraining from spelling out how Pakistan should go about ensuring a review, the court has allowed the country to conduct another trial in a military court. Given Islamabad’s intransigent position on the issue and the strained nature of India-Pakistan relations, it would require extraordinary political and diplomatic acumen to ensure justice for Mr. Jadhav. Euphoria on the ICJ judgment is thus a bit too premature.

S.K. Choudhury,

Bengaluru

Thanks to the Vienna Convention and a well-coordinated legal defence before the ICJ, India was able to realise the immediate objective of getting a stay on the death sentence handed out to the former Indian naval officer Kulbushan Jadhav by a Pakistani military court. While celebrating the ICJ’s verdict, India should take care to avoid any triumphalist drum-beating because there is a long way to travel, legally and diplomatically, before the ultimate goal of securing Mr. Jadhav’s release can be secured. Once India exhausts the remedies provided for by international laws, the ICJ will have no option other than tossing the case back to Pakistan’s civilian courts. It is not known whether India possesses any trump card in the form of a bargaining chip, but in the end, only a thaw in the frozen India-Pakistan ties can open the doors for Mr. Jadhav’s return.

V.N. Mukundarajan,

Thiruvananthapuram

The ICJ verdict is only a temporary relief for Mr. Jadhav as his fate now depends on what Pakistan’s arbitrarily assembled military courts decide. While consular access could provide moral support, it is not difficult to foresee the outcome of a ‘review and reconsideration’ by a military court. India should continue to make all out efforts through diplomatic channels and put pressure on Pakistan to free the retired Naval officer.

Kosaraju Chandramouli,

Hyderabad