Pakistan must release, repatriate Kulbhushan Jadhav forthwith: Jaishankar in Parliament

NEW DELHI: A day after the International Court of Justice ordered Pakistan to review the death penalty awarded to Kulbhushan Jadhav and grant him consular access, India on Thursday asked Islamabad to release the former navy officer forthwith and vowed to vigorously continue efforts to bring him back.

Making a statement in Parliament on the judgement by the ICJ, foreign minister S Jaishankar said: “Pakistan was found to have deprived India of the right to communicate with Jadhav, have access to him, visit him in detention and arrange his legal representation.”

Kulbhushan Jadhav is innocent of the charges made against him, Jaishankar said. “His forced confession without legal representation and due process will not change this reality,” he said, adding: “We once again call upon Pakistan to release and repatriate him forthwith.”


The ICJ on Wednesday directed Pakistan to suspend the death sentence given in 2017 to Jadhav on charges of espionage and sabotage. “Yesterday’s judgement is not only a vindication for India and Jadhav, but for all those who believe in the rule of law and the sanctity of international treaties,” he said.

People in the know indicated that all eyes were on Pakistan allowing consular access to Jadhav as there were apprehensions that Islamabad could drag its feet on this. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday tweeted that his country would proceed as per law on Jadhav. “Appreciate ICJ’s decision not to acquit, release and return Kulbhushan Jadhav to India,” Khan said.