Consular access won't change Jadhav's sentence: Pak lawyer

 Khawar Qureshi, Pakistan's lawyer at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, has said the consular access granted to Jadhav will have "no effect on the conviction under espionage and terrorism charges".

"The ICJ has rejected Indian requests for annulment of his conviction, acquittal, release and return," Qureshi told the media at Pakistan's Punjab Bar Council lecture for young lawyers.

Pakistan had claimed Jadhav was "arrested" in March 2016 from the restive province of Balochistan for alleged espionage. In April 2017, he was sentenced to death by a military court, after which India approached the ICJ.

The ICJ in its July 17 verdict had asked Islamabad for continued stay on Jadhav's death sentence and to provide him consular access.

Qureshi said India had refused to avail the jurisdiction of high court under Article 199 of the Constitution of Pakistan to seek a review of the conviction as unacceptable. 

However, the ICJ in its decision held that the review by the Pakistani court was acceptable. 

Qureshi said after the grant of consular access, Jadhav could now do what India should have done after the conviction, which was invoking his right to appeal under Article 199.

To a question about the possibilities of Pakistan taking to the ICJ the Indian "oppression and rights violations in Kashmir", Qureshi said he couldn't comment on it as it was under consideration by the government.IANS