'ICJ verdict a complete victory for India'

The verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Kulbhushan Jadhav is a "complete victory for India", top government sources said today.

India put intense diplomatic pressure on Pakistan through numerous diplomatic notes and demarches and letter by EAM (External Affairs Minister) over a sustained period of time for Consular access and release of Jadhav, government sources said.

"India's Stand on Vienna Convention and Consular access upheld. India will get access to Jadhav. India's legal arguments was upheld, including correctness of decision to approach ICJ," they said.

Sources said, Kulbhushan Jadhav is innocent and "he was kidnapped from Iran, where he was residing and carrying on business after retiring from the Indian Navy. There is absolutely no clarification by Pakistan about the circumstances of his arrest".

India put up a formidable legal team led by eminent jurist Harish Salve. The ICJ agreed to India's viewpoint by issuing a binding order to Pak to prevent execution of Jadhav, sources said.

Reacting to the ICJ verdict, Union Home Minister said that it is yet another manifestation of Modi Government's diplomatic efforts.

"A great day at the @CIJ_ICJ! The verdict is a victory of truth and protects human dignity. It is yet another manifestation of Modi Government's diplomatic efforts and commitment to protect all Indians. I congratulate Harish Salve ji for his stupendous efforts through the case," he tweeted.

ICJ on Wednesday asked Pakistan to review its order of death sentence awarded to Jadhav on alleged charges of espionage and conspiracy against Pakistan.

The court also granted him consular access holding Pakistan guilty of violating Vienna Convention.

Jadhav, 49, was purportedly "arrested" from Balochistan by Pakistani security forces on March 3, 2016, after he allegedly entered the country from Iran as claimed by Islamabad.

India has held that Pakistan, which faces several problems on its border with Iran, has been using Jadhav's case to blame India for its problems in Balochistan. It has used proxy groups such as Jaish al Adl against Iran, while Iranian officials have spoken of Pakistan's sponsorship of terror activities along Iran-Pakistan border.

It was on March 25, 2016 that then Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, had informed the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad of Jadhav's "arrest."

Since then, Pakistan has not offered any explanation as to why Islamabad took over three weeks to inform the Indian High Commissioner about Jadhav's arrest.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on April 11, 2017.

Following this, India on May 8, 2017, approached the ICJ against Pakistan "for egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963" in the matter.

India alleged that Pakistan is in breach of Article 36(1) (b) of the Vienna Convention, which obliged Pakistan to inform India of the arrest of Jadhav "without delay".