Pak to modify Army Act to allow Kulbhushan Jadav's right to appeal against conviction

Pakistan, in compliance with the International Court of Justice’s condition to allow Kulbhushan Jadhav the right to file an appeal in a civilian court, news agency ANI reported quoting Pakistan media. The case being tried under Military courts and the Army Act law forbade such individuals or groups from filing an appeal and seeking justice from the civilian court but a special amendment is being made for Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Pakistan government will be making amendments in the Army Act and let Kulbashan Jadhav appeal against his conviction in a civilian Court.

Jadhav, 49, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" in April 2017, following which India had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking a stay on his death sentence and further remedies.

Pakistan has claimed that Kulbhushan Jadhav was "arrested" from Balochistan by its security forces on March 3, 2016.

However, India has rejected these charges and termed them baseless. India has always mainitained that Kulbhushan Jadhav was kidnapped by Pakistan's security forces when he was in Iran on a business trip after retiring from the Navy.

Earlier, Pakistan had blocked India's second consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav. Pakistan Foreign Affairs Ministry's spokesperson, Mohammad Faisal, announced in a statement, Pakistan government's intentions to block India's attempt to get second consular access in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav.

ALSO READ | Kulbhushan Jadhav will not get second consular access, says Pakistan

ALSO READ | Kulbhushan Jadhav appeared to be under extreme pressure to parrot Pakistan's narrative: MEA

ALSO READ | Pakistan military claims India given consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav after it accepted conditions