India writes to Pakistan for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav

India has asked Pakistan to provide consular access Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian national abducted by Pakistani spy agencies from Iran in a Note Verbale sent to Pakistani high commission sent on Tuesday. 

India had gone to the International court of justice (ICJ) regarding the sentence announced by the Pakistan military court and got a stay. The ICJ will be announcing the final verdict in the case very soon after the oral hearing in February by both sides in The Hague where the world court is located.

India has demanded consular for not only Jadhav but 4 other Indian prisoners — Mohammad Javaid, Abdul Hakeem, Muhammad Ismail, Salfikar Ali languishing in Pakistani jails. 

The note verbale on the release and repatriation of Indian prisoners and fishermen in Pakistan calls for release of 10 Indian civil prisoners lodged in Pakistani jails since they have already completed their sentence. New Delhi has also confirmed Identity of 5 prisoners lodged in Pakistan jails to be Indians and called for there early release as well.

503 Indian fishermen are believed to be in Pakistan’s custody of which Pakistan has acknowledged the custody of 483 fishermen who are Indian or believed-to-be-Indian in their jails. Since 2014, the Indian Government has been able to secure the release of 1749 Indian prisoners, including 1725 fishermen along with 57 boats.

New Delhi has strongly raised its concern and protested the delay in the informing the death of one Indian fisherman Bhikha s/o Bhagwan in Karachi Jail to the Indian high commission in Islamabad. He dies in early March. 

This is not the first case in which delay has been seen regarding informing the death of an Indian fisherman. In the past death of two Indian fishermen — Deva bhai and Nanu Bhai was informed after an inordinate delay.

In October 2017, India had suggested Pakistan that the two sides could work together for the release and repatriation of elderly, women and mentally unsound prisoners on humanitarian grounds and proposed to revive the mechanism of Joint Judicial Committee.

In the past 6 months, the ministry of external affairs via — 3 note verbale, one on January 1, other in December and November — has called on Islamabad to organise an early visit of Joint Judicial Committee to Pakistan but it has got no response.