The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday held its final verdict today and said that “Pakistan should take all measure to ensure Kulbhushan Jadhav is not executed till its final verdict.”

“India should have been given consular access as per Vienna convention”, said ICJ judge

The president of the United Nations court, Ronny Abraham, read out the decision.

In an emergency hearing on Monday, India called on UN’s top court to order Pakistan to suspend the execution of the former navy officer, who is allegedly held guilty by a Pakistani military court for espionage.

Jadhav was arrested in March 2016 and Pakistan claims that he had confessed to spying for Indian intelligence service: Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and was sentenced to death last month.

Both India and Pakistan are confronting each other in the ICJ amid a sharp escalation in tension over ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops, sponsoring terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir and the recent mutilation of two Indian soldiers.

India expressed fear that Pakistan may execute Jadhav even before the ICJ decides on its appeal.

India accused Pakistan of "egregious violations of the Vienna convention" by denying him access to legal counsel and consular access, and refusing to reveal the charges or evidence against him. And wanted the ICJ to decide whether Pakistan has broken the convention and international humans rights law.

Kulbhushan Jadhav was "an innocent Indian national, who, incarcerated in Pakistan for more than a year on concocted charges ... has been held incommunicado... and faces imminent execution," India told the tribunal.

Pakistan denied all the allegations against them and said that Mr Jadhav had time till August 2016 for legal remedies. It also accused India of “political grandstanding” and told ICJ that Mr Jadhav “has confessed to having been sent by India to wage terror on the innocent civilians and infrastructure of Pakistan".

After the hearing, Attorney General of India, Mukul Rohatgi said: “Indian stand is victorious, congratulate all concerned persons, especially the External Affairs Ministry.”

AMandeep