India rejects Pak riders for consular access to Jadhav

India has rejected the riders Pakistan attached to its offer for granting consular access to former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been on a death row in the neighbouring country since April 2017.

New Delhi has asked Islamabad to make it sure that Jadhav can interact with the consular officials of High Commission of India in Pakistan without any intimidation or fear of reprisal. Islamabad has not yet responded to New Delhi, sources said on Friday.

The Government of Pakistan earlier conveyed to New Delhi that while it was ready to grant consular access to Jadhav on Friday, its own officials would be present when he would interact with representatives of High Commission of India in Islamabad. Pakistan also conveyed to India that the meeting would happen under CCTV surveillance and would be recorded.

Sources in New Delhi said that India had on Thursday asked Pakistan to provide "unimpeded consular access" to Jadhav, "in an environment free from the fear of intimidation and reprisal, in the light of the orders of the ICJ (International Court of Justice)."

New Delhi is waiting for the response from Islamabad.

Pakistan had offered to arrange the meeting between Jadhav and consular officials of India at 3:30 p.m. (Indian Standard Time) on Friday.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on July 17 asked Pakistan to allow consular officials of High Commission of India in Islamabad to meet Jadhav. It also asked Pakistan Government to inform the former Indian Navy officer about his rights under Vienna Convention.

Jadhav had been in the custody of Pakistan Army since at least March 3, 2016. A military court had convicted him of working for India's external spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and of fomenting militancy in Baluchistan province of Pakistan. The military court had also awarded death sentence to him on April 10, 2017.

India moved the ICJ against Pakistan on May 10, 2017. The court had on May 18, 2017, stayed his execution pending its final judgement in the case.

The ICJ on July 17 delivered its judgement, concluding that Pakistan had violated Article 36 of the Vienna Convention by not informing India about his arrest immediately after taking him into custody. It also held that Pakistan had violated the Vienna Convention by declining India's request for consular access to incarcerated Jadhav. It asked Pakistan to review the conviction of Jadhav, but rejected India's plea for his acquittal, release and repatriation from the neighbouring country.

New Delhi last week conveyed to Islamabad that Pakistan must grant India consular access to Jadhav, “in full compliance with the judgement of the ICJ and in full conformity with Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963.”