Give India another chance to appoint lawyer for Jadhav: Pakistan court to govt

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 3

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that it has been in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels, and was doing everything to secure his release after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) gave India more time to appoint a lawyer for Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Jadhav, the 50-year-old retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April 2017.

The directive was a repeat of the August 3, 2020, order by a two-judge bench, that directed the government to make another offer to India, and Jadhav for appointing the lawyer.

The court also heard the Pakistan broadcasting regulator, which was implementing its directive of exercising caution while reporting on the subject.

Pakistan is legally bound to permit legal representation for Kulbhushan Jadhav, but India has sought to share documents and unimpeded access to Jadhav besides appointing its citizen as the lawyer.

Pakistan claims they arrested Jadhav in March 2016 from Balochistan on the allegations of “espionage and terrorism”, but India claims that he was abducted from Iran, where he was running a legitimate business after retiring from the Navy.