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Pakistan claims Kulbhushan Jadhav had refused review petition

WION
New Delhi/Islamabad, India/PakistanUpdated: Jul 08, 2020, 03:14 PM IST
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Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian in Pakistani custody was sentenced by Pakistani military court in 2017. But India was able to stay the order after approaching ICJ Photograph:(ANI)

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On May 20, Pakistan had enacted an ordinance to implement the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) order under which an appeal can be made to the Islamabad High Court within two months. Jadhav was given a chance to file a review petition on June 17.

Pakistan on Wednesday claimed that Kulbhushan Jadhav had refused review petition that was offered to him by their government. He instead has requested for a mercy petition, it added.

Pakistan's Additional Attorney General Ahmed Irfan said, "Kulbhushan Jadhav was invited to file a petition for review and reconsideration of his sentence and conviction. He exercised his legal right, and refused to file a petition for review."

On May 20, Pakistan had enacted an ordinance to implement the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) order under which an appeal can be made to the Islamabad High Court within two months. Jadhav was given a chance to file a review petition on June 17.

Pakistan even claimed that the Indian High Commission was "repeatedly" invited to file a review at the Islamabad High Court and initiate the review and reconsideration process.

Islamabad also announced it would give a second consular access to Jhadav, inviting his father and wife to meet him. 

The Indian government is yet to react on the developments. 

India in September, 2019 got the first consular access for Kulbhushan Jadhav in three years. Indian Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) Gaurav Ahluwalia in Islamabad then met him for two hours. The Indian diplomat found Jadhav under "extreme pressure to parrot a false narrative to bolster Pakistan’s untenable claims", according to release issued by India's Ministry of External Affairs.
 
India maintains that Jadhav, an Indian naval officer, was abducted by Pakistani agencies from Iran and New Delhi was first informed about his custody by Pakistani authorities on March 25, 2016, after which in 2017, Islamabad announced that military had awarded death sentence to him.