India on Wednesday described as a “farce” Islamabad’s claim that Kulbhushan Jadhav, on death row in Pakistan on spying charges, had refused to file a review petition in a civil court and accused Pakistan of coercing him.

Islamabad had claimed that Jadhav, who India says is a retired naval officer kidnapped by Pakistan from Iran, had instead opted to pursue his mercy petition with the Pakistani army chief.

“Pakistan’s claim that Shri Jadhav... has refused to initiate review petition is a continuation of the farce that has been in play for the last four years,” the external affairs ministry spokesperson said.

“Shri Jadhav has been sentenced to execution through a farcical trial. He remains under custody of Pakistan’s military. He has clearly been coerced to refuse to file a review in his case.”

Pakistan had highlighted that Islamabad had promulgated an ordinance on May 20 to allow Jadhav to file a review petition in a civil court against his death sentence in compliance with the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) July 2019 judgment. A military court had awarded the death sentence.

Under the ordinance, a petition for review and reconsideration can be made to Islamabad High Court within 60 days. It can be filed by Jadhav or a legally authorised representative or a consular officer at the Indian mission, Pakistan’s additional attorney-general, General Ahmed Irfan, said.

He claimed Jadhav was asked to file the review plea on June 17 but preferred to follow up on his mercy petition. He claimed Pakistan had written to the Indian high commission more than once asking it to file a review plea on Jadhav’s behalf before the 60-day deadline passed on July 19.

He “hoped” that India would eschew “its usual dilatory tactics and playing politics” and, instead, “follow the due legal course and cooperate with” Pakistani courts to implement the ICJ judgment.

India accuses Pakistan of continuing to deny it free and unimpeded access to Jadhav to discuss his remedies under the ordinance.