Indian officials should be given opportunity to give their stance on Kulbhushan Jadhav: Islamabad HC

Islamabad High Court on Monday said that the Indian officials should be given an opportunity to give their stance on Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on the death row in Pakistan.

A two-member special bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, hearing the government's plea seeking the appointment of a lawyer for Jadhav, said that the Indian officials should be given an opportunity to give their stance, The Express Tribune reported.

Hearing of the case has been adjourned till September 3.

India had said last month that Pakistan has blocked all avenues for effective remedy available to it in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case.

MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said during a weekly briefing that Pakistan's recent move of approaching the Islamabad High Court for the appointment of a lawyer for a review of Jadhav's sentencing by a military court is in violation of ICJ judgment and its own May 20 ordinance.

"Pakistan has blocked all avenues for effective remedy available to India. It stands in violation of ICJ judgement and its own Ordinance. India reserves its position including the right to avail of further remedies," Srivastava had said.

The Pakistan government had moved the Islamabad High Court seeking to appoint a counsel for Jadhav in order to "implement the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) decision to meet the requirements of a fair trial".

Srivastava noted that India has requested for consular access 12 times but Pakistan has not been able to provide "unimpeded, unhindered, and unconditional access" until now.

He accused Pakistan of obstructing India from filing the review petition in the case and said the consular officers who went to meet Jadhav on July 16 were not allowed to obtain a power of attorney for Jadhav.

Srivastava said that India appointed a Pakist lawyer to obtain relevant document but his request was also declined by the Pakist authorities.

Pakistan claims that Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan in 2016 on charges of espionage. India has rejected Pakistan's allegations and said he was kidnapped from the Iran port of Chabahar.

In early 2017, a Pakist military court sentenced him to death. In May 2017, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed his execution and in July last year, it upheld India's claim that Pakistan has committed an egregious violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations on several counts.

( With inputs from ANI )