India wants consular access to Kulbhushan to get the information gathered by its spy, Pak tells ICJ
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The Hague: Pakistan on Wednesday rejected India's plea for consular access to death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav at the ICJ, claiming that New Delhi wants the access to get the information gathered by its "spy".
In its counter-memorial submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Pakistan said the provision of such an access under the Vienna Convention is only for legitimate visitors and not for spies.
Pakistan said that Jadhav is not an ordinary person as he had entered the country with the intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.
Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the ICJ in May. The ICJ halted his execution on India's appeal pending the final verdict by it.
Citing its sources, the paper said Pakistan has stated that "the Indians have not denied that Jadhav was traveling on a passport with an assumed Muslim name."
"Lack of explanation on how a serving naval commander was operating under secondment to Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was travelling under an assumed name leads to only one conclusion that India wanted consular access to the information he had gathered," said the counter-memorial submitted by Pakistan, according to the paper.
The reply encompasses the charge-sheet against Jadhav and narrates Pakistan's stance in a comprehensive manner.
Sources said it took several weeks to prepare the response which was approved by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi last week in a special meeting.
Official sources said that the reply was jointly prepared by the attorney general, legal team in the case, and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and submitted in ICJ at The Hague by the Foreign Office's Director India, Fariha Bugti.