New Delhi, April 3 (NationPress) Syed Akbaruddin, India's former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, reflected on a pivotal moment when uncertainty surrounded India's prospects at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). However, a decisive choice by Prime Minister Narendra Modi shifted the narrative.

During a discussion on Indian podcaster Raj Shamani's YouTube channel, Akbaruddin shared valuable perspectives on India's legal struggle regarding Kulbhushan Jadhav. He noted that, despite the prevalent skepticism, the Prime Minister made a resolute decision to address the issue at the ICJ.

"This was the situation concerning Kulbhushan Jadhav. We decided to take it to the ICJ because we identified a minor opportunity to halt his execution. We made the choice to contest, albeit a bit late. I was among those who doubted our chances. However, the PM insisted, 'I understand your concerns, but the decision is made. When the Prime Minister of India states that a decision is made, I am here to execute it,'" he recounted.

Akbaruddin further emphasized how diplomatic support began to accumulate even before India's official announcement at the ICJ.

"The first vote we received was prior to our formal declaration. I believe the PM had a meeting with the President of Uzbekistan. The Uzbek Ambassador urgently requested to meet me and said, 'I am going to support you, even though I haven't announced my candidate.' He presented a letter indicating his vote for India's candidate without any formal announcement. This was encouraging, as it illustrated that discussions between our PM and their President had significant implications. It was a serious matter, and we had to move forward, leading to our initial victory," Akbaruddin stated.

Jadhav, an Indian citizen sentenced to death in Pakistan, faced allegations of espionage and subversive actions against Pakistan at the behest of India's intelligence services. India has refuted these claims.

Pakistan asserts that the ex-Indian Navy officer was captured on March 3, 2016, in Balochistan. Conversely, India maintains that he was abducted from Iran, where he was involved in business activities in Chabahar after retiring prematurely from the Navy.

Pakistan postponed the execution following India's appeal to the International Court of Justice on May 18, 2017. The ICJ delivered its verdict on July 17, 2019, denying India's request for Jadhav's release while instructing Pakistan to suspend the execution.

The ICJ mandated that Pakistan review the entire trial and conviction process for Jadhav and grant India consular access.

Subsequent to the ruling, Islamabad allowed consular access to Jadhav. On September 2, 2019, Indian Charge d'Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia met with Jadhav at a Pakistani sub-jail.

Shortly after his arrest, Pakistan released a video purportedly showing Jadhav confessing to being a spy. However, India's Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the video as manipulated and fraudulent.

In this video, Jadhav claimed to have been orchestrating activities in Karachi and Balochistan and asserted his ongoing association with the Indian Navy.