Kulbhushan Jadhav case: As Pakistan allows consular access to former Naval officer, a look at the case

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Updated: Sep 02, 2019 11:19 IST

Pakistan has finally allowed Indian officials to meet on Monday former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistan military court, months after the International Court of Justice ruled that Islamabad had violated the officer’s right to consular access and called for a review of the death sentence.

Jadhav was arrested by Pakistani security agencies in Balochistan on March 3, 2016, and charged with involvement in spying and subversive activities. In April 2017, Pakistan announced that Jadhav had been given the death sentence by a military court.

The initial offer of conditional access by Pakistan was rejected by India, which demanded “unimpeded” contact with the 49-year-old Indian national. The access should be “in light of the orders of the ICJ”, India said on the August 2 Pakistan offer.

On Sunday (September 1) the Pakistani Foreign Office tweeted saying consular access to Jadhav had been allowed in line with the ICJ verdict.

Here is a look at Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case so far:

March 3, 2016: Pakistani arrests Kulbhushan Jadhav in Balochistan, accusing him of espionage and involvement in subversive activities.

March 25, 2016: On being informed abnout the arrest, India seeks consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav on the same day and repeatedly after that.

May 8, 2017: India initiates proceedings in the International Court of Justice against Pakistan for the ‘violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963’.

May 9, 2017: ICJ sends a communication to Pakistan’s prime minister.

May 15, 2017: ICJ hears India’s request for provisional measures. Pakistan asks the court to reject the request.

May 18, 2017: ICJ unanimously issues a binding order indicating provisional measures asked by India to take all measures to prevent the execution of Jadhav pending final judgment of the court.

June 13, 2017: ICJ fixes September 13 and December 13 as the deadlines for India’s memorial and Pakistan’s counter-memorial respectively.

September 13, 2017: India files the first round of written pleadings

December 13, 2017: Pakistan files its counter-memorial or the first written pleadings

Dec 19, 2017: India seeks three months’ time to file a reply

December 25, 2017: Jadhav meets his mother and wife after Pakistan allow them to see him “in light of Islamic traditions and based on purely humanitarian grounds.”

Jan 17, 2018: ICJ accepts India’s request and gives three months’ time to both India and Pakistan to file their second round of written pleadings. April 17 and July 17 fixed as deadlines for India’s reply and Pakistan’s rejoinder respectively.

April 17, 2018: India files its second round of reply in the court

July 17, 2018: Pakistan files its rejoinder

February 18-21, 2019: Final hearings takes place in the ICJ. In a ruling seen as a significant victory for India’s efforts to prevent the execution of the 49-year-old, the UN’s principal court ruled that a continued stay of Jadhav’s death sentence was an “indispensable condition” for an effective “review and reconsideration” of his conviction.