ICJ judgment validates India's position on Jadhav, will work for his release: MEA

India on Wednesday said that it expects Pakistan to implement the International Court of Justice (ICJ) direction to allow consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav and said that it will work vigorously for his early release and return to India.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, in an official reaction after the ICJ ruling on Jadhav, also appreciated the top UN court's direction to Pakistan to review and reconsider Jadhav's death sentence.

"We appreciate the direction by the ICJ that Pakistan should review and reconsider the conviction and sentence given to Jadhav by a Pakistani military court," said the MEA spokesperson.

"We note that the court has directed that Pakistan is under an obligation to inform Kulbhushan Jadhav of his rights and to allow Indian consular officials' access to him in accordance with the Vienna Convention.

"We expect Pakistan to implement the directive immediately. The landmark judgement validates India's position in this matter," Kumar said, adding, "We will continue to work vigorously for Kulbhushan Jadhav's early release and return."

Jadhav was arrested in March 2016 and sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan on charges of spying in April 2017. IANS