Kulbhushan caught a sigh of relief as the International Court of Justice in Hague, Netherlands, on 17.7.2019 nullified the death sentence that was given to him by Pakistan.
Kulbushan according to Pakistan was spying for India’s intelligence agency – Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and during a counter-intelligence operation raid held in March 2016 in Balochistan, he was arrested.
Pakistan has said that Kulbhushan was working for the Indian Navy and was taken into the intelligence division, infiltrated Pak under the alias Hussain Mubarak Patel and was actively trying to destabilize Pakistan by strengthening the separatists in it. Kulbhushan was given the death sentence by Pakistan on 10 April 2017.
While Kulbhushan was acknowledged as a former naval officer by India, it denied that he was employed under any Indian intelligence agency and it condemned Pakistan for sentencing him to death. India said Kulbhushan , after his service in the navy went to live a normal life where he turned as a business man near Iran. He was abducted by Mullah Omar of Jaish Ul Adl from Sarbaz City , Iran and has been framed by Pakistan.
Pakistan released a video confession of Khulbhushan but India claimed it has been interwoven and edited. On 18 May, 2017, India filed a case in the International Court of Justice which is a UN body. After several pleadings and rounds, the verdict was announced at 6.30 P.M. IST on 17.7.2019.
The ICJ has said that Pakistan has delayed to notify India about Kulbhushan’s arrest in 2016 and has thus violated Vienna Convention (international agreement). Pakistan was ordered to drop the death sentence until a fair trial is given to Kulbhushan. The ICJ also ordered the consul privileges of Khulbhushan be restored.
When Pakistan said Vienna Convention doesn’t suit Khulbhushan who according them is a spy, the ICJ dismissed it as redundant. So, now Khulbhushan will escape the gallows and will get a fair trial and before that he will get to meet the consulate members.
This is a huge victory for India.