A three-judge bench of the Islamabad High Court will hear the case of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav on Thursday. The case came into the spotlight for the first time in March 2016. Almost four and a half years later the dispute still continues with no end in sight. The case which garnered international attention had also led to prolonged disputes between India and Pakistan.

Pakistan had dubbed Jadhav as a ‘spy’ and a military court in Islamabad sentenced him to death in 2017. However, India refuted all the claims and approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on May 8, 2017, accusing Pakistan of “egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.”

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In what was referred to as a major diplomatic victory for India, the ICJ directed Pakistan to put on hold the death sentence of Kulbhushan Jadhav and directed the government to review the case in July 2019. Subsequently, India was also given consular access twice in September 2019 and July 2020.

Who is Kulbhushan Jadhav and Why was he arrested?

Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav is an Indian citizen from the Powai area of Maharashtra. He was arrested from the Pakistan province of Balochistan on March 3, 2016. Pakistan government alleged Jadhav of spying for India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and arrested him on charges of terrorism. They also claimed that he was a serving commander in the Indian Navy and was arrested during a counter-intelligence operation in Balochistan.

In March 2016, Pakistan released a video of Jadhav confessing that he is a RAW agent and claimed that the agency was involved in ‘destabilising Pakistan.’

“I am still a serving officer in the Indian Navy and will be due for retirement in 2022. By 2002, I commenced intelligence operations. In 2003, I established a small business in Chabahar in Iran. As I was able to achieve undetected existence and visits to Karachi in 2003 and 2004 and having done some basic assignments within India for RAW, I was picked up by RAW in 2013,” he had said in the video.

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India accepted that he was a former Navy officer, however,  rubbished claims of spying and accused the Pakistan government of abducting him from Iran. They stated that he had taken premature retirement.

“Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran and his subsequent presence in Pakistan has never been explained credibly,” India’s Foreign Ministry said.  Alleging the confessional video was doctored, India claimed that it was coerced from him and accused Pakistan of custodial torture. 

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The Islamabad High Court has taken up Jadhav’s review petition against his death sentence. The court hearing is expected to give a conclusion to the long-standing case. Though, India had pressed for an Indian lawyer to represent Jadhav, Pakistan said that it was not legally possible.