New Delhi, July 17: In a victory for India, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday ordered Pakistan to give India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav and suspended his death sentence till his conviction is reviewed. The first reaction in India came from former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who welcomed the verdict and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking up the case against Pakistan at the ICJ. In a series of tweets, Swaraj wrote, "I wholeheartedly welcome the verdict of International Court of Justice in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav. It is a great victory for India." ICJ Orders Pakistan To Give India Consular Access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, Stays Death Sentence Given To The Indian National, Calls For Review Of His Conviction.

"I thank Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for our initiative to take Jadhav's case before International Court of Justice. I thank Mr Harish Salve for presenting India's case before ICJ very effectively and successfully. I hope the verdict will provide the much-needed solace to the family members of Kulbhushan Jadhav," she added.

Sushma Swaraj's tweets

Jadhav, an Indian national, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism after a closed trial in April 2017. His sentencing evoked a sharp reaction in India. India approached the ICJ against Pakistan “for egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963” in the matter.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 17, 2019 07:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).