The government has appointed Attorney General of Pakistan, Ashtar Ausaf as its agent in death row inmate, Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case in International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Islamabad has informed the Registrar at the ICJ about the appointment. Director General of Foreign Office Dr Muhammad Faisal is to serve as Pakistan’s co-agent.
India had taken Jadhav’s case to the ICJ in May this year and was granted injunction until further orders.
However, the case is under hearing and the government has stayed the execution until international court’s orders.
“Court considers it a failure on the part of Pakistan to not present counselors to Jhadav,” said President Ronny Abraham who announced the verdict. “A link exists between the rights invoked by India and the provisional measures being sought by the state,” he continued.
ICJ admitted that Pakistan has proven that Jadhav is an Indian citizen, and he did not appeal against the decision that was made against him during the 40-day period. India can only be given relief after providing sufficient evidences as Article 36 of Vienna Convention does not apply on this case, remarked the president.
The international court had conducted a hearing of the petition filed by India on May 15. Counsels of the two states, Pakistan and India had concluded their arguments following which the panel had reserved the verdict.
Pakistan had maintained that it was beyond jurisdiction of the court to hear such a case.
Counsel for Pakistan Khawar Qureshi maintained that responsibility to punish terrorists lies with all of the countries. Qureshi said that the issue at hand concerns national stability of Pakistan and ICJ does not have the jurisdiction to rule over such case.
Pakistan would not be deterred in fight against terrorism and those sponsoring terror could not shake its resolve, the counsel added. Qureshi said that India owns Jadhav as its national and that there should be no interference on Pakistani soil.
India, till date, has not presented Jadhav’s birth certificate and passport, he had added.
Jadhav, a former Indian naval officer, was sentenced to death after being convicted of espionage by a Pakistani military court. earlier this year.
He was arrested within an hour and a half of his entrance in Pakistan from Iran on March 3, 2016 by intelligence and security agencies.
He confessed to conspiring against China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and fanning unrest in Balochistan and Karachi among other parts of the country.