Basit rules out India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Pakistan’s high commissioner to India Abdul Basit has on Sunday ruled out providing India consular access Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

In an interview with Indian media outlet, Abdul Basit said Islamabad will follow domestic laws, not the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963 (VCCR), in deciding whether to entertain India’s plea or not.

He also made a strong pitch for starting the December 2015 Composite Bilateral Dialogue (CBD) which, he insisted, was the right way of addressing even India's concerns on cross-border terrorism, including the delay in Mumbai trial and lack of progress in Pathankot airbase attack case.

The envoy also blamed India for the delay in Mumbai trial saying that progress was linked to the need for Pakistan authorities to examine 24 Indian witnesses.