No change in Pakistan’s stand on consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav: India

India had moved the International Court of Justice against Jadhav’s death penalty by a Pakistan military court. The ICJ had on May 18 restrained Pakistan from executing the death sentence.

India said on Thursday that there has been no change in Pakistan’s position on providing consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav as also on visa request for his mother, amidst Pakistani media reports that Islamabad was considering to allow her to travel to meet her son.

File photo of former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of 'espionage'. (PTI File Photo)

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay also said the case was now before the International Court of Justice and India was following the September 13 timeline to give its submission.

There has been no change in Pakistan’s position on providing consular access to Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer, as also on visa request for his mother, he said.

When asked about reports that Pakistan was considering the Indian request for the grant of visa to Jadhav’s mother, Avantika Jadhav, he said India has no official information on it.

Pakistan has so far dismissed 16 request by India for consular access to Jadhav.

India had moved the ICJ against Jadhav’s death penalty by a Pakistan military court. The ICJ had on May 18 restrained Pakistan from executing the death sentence.

While Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from its restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran, India maintains that the Indian national was kidnapped from Iran where he had legitimate business interests.