Pakistan’s Abdul Basit hints at ‘rethink’ in Kulbhushan Jadhav case

Basit said Pakistan would not carry out his death sentence until the hearing in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is over.

Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit has said that there is “room for rethink” in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, and confirmed that Pakistan will not carry out his death sentence until the hearing in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is over.

Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit in New Delhi.(Mohd Zakir/HT FILE PHOTO)

In an interview to The Hindu, Basit said Pakistan would like the process in the ICJ to be over quickly, “but until (it does), we are committed”.

The case pertains to the death sentence awarded by a Pakistani military court in April to the former Indian Navy officer, Jadhav, for alleged involvement in “spying” and “subversive activities”.

India had in May appealed against the sentence at the ICJ, saying Pakistan had not granted India consular access, nor accepted his family’s appeals.

The court has asked India to make its submission in the case by September 13 and Pakistan by December 13.

Recently, Pakistan had also said that Jadhav will not be executed till he “exhausts all his mercy appeals”.

The High Commissioner told The Hindu that Jadhav would be able to appeal for clemency first to Pakistani army chief General Qamar Bajwa, and later to President Mamnoon Husain if his appeal was rejected by the Court of Appeals.

“So there is room for a rethink there,” he said.

On the trial of Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and Mumbai 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s detention, Basit said the Pakistan government was “trying its best” to keep the convict under (house) arrest and several organisations he represents were under “observation” for now.