Consular access for Indian spy Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, a serving Indian naval officer and RAW operative, is be… https://t.co/6V4dlIkTtp — Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) 1567346312000

ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Pakistan has once again offered consular access to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav .Announcing the decision, Pakistani foreign office spokesperson Mohammed Faisal tweeted, "Consular access for Indian spy Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, a serving Indian naval officer and RAW operative, is being provided on Monday, September 2, in line with Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, ICJ judgment and the laws of Pakistan. Commander Jadhav remains in Pakistan's custody, for espionage, terrorism and sabotage."There was no immediate response from MEA, but sources said India would only accept private access - that is, unrestricted and unimpeded access to Jadhav. This will have to be without Pakistani officials or video-audio surveillance. India, sources said, would assess the nature of the Pakistani offer before taking a decision.The last time Islamabad offered access in early August, it came with riders like presence of Pakistani officials, as well as video and audio recording. It was rejected by India for being contrary to the terms of the International Court of Justice judgment, and coming with too many conditions.The move came six weeks after the Hague-based ICJ had directed Pakistan on July 17 to immediately inform Jadhav of his rights under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention and provide consular access to him. Pakistan must undertake an "effective review and reconsideration" of Jadhav's conviction and sentencing, and grant consular access to him without delay, the court had said. The ICJ upheld India's stand that Pakistan was in egregious violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963.Pakistan must undertake an “effective review and reconsideration” of Jadhav’s conviction and sentencing, and grant consular access to him without delay, the court had said. According to Pakistan, Jadhav, 49, was arrested on March 3, 2016, from Balochistan province. Delhi, however, said he was a retired Indian Navy officer who was abducted from Iran. His arrest was made public by Pakistan’s military weeks after his capture by airing his purported confessional statement on TV channels.A secret military court, which had tried Jadhav on charges of espionage, sentenced him to death in April 2017. His appeal against the conviction was rejected by the military appellate court.