— Hearings will take place from Feb 18-Feb 21 at the Peace Palace in The Hague
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Friday that Pakistan will present evidence in convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on February 19.
While addressing a reception in Manchester, the foreign minister said that the legal team will present its standpoint in the case and added that Jadhav has already “confessed to being involved in terrorist activities carried out in Pakistan”.
In 2018, the ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations decided to hold public hearings in this case from February 2019. In addition to that, they announced that the hearings will take place from February 18 to February 21, 2019, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the court.
In July 2018, a second counter-memorial to India’s arguments was submitted by Pakistan on the conviction of the RAW agent before the world court.
Following that, FM Qureshi said, “Pakistan has concrete proof against Indian spy Jadhav and will triumph in the ICJ.”
In March 2016, Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan and he has confessed to spying for Indian intelligence services. He was convicted by a military court and sentenced to death.
In May 2017, the ICJ ordered Pakistan to stay the execution of Indian spy Kulbhushan, who is convicted of spying.
Judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in a unanimous and binding decision that Kulbhushan Sudhir Yadav must not be executed by Islamabad until they have had time to pass final judgement in the case.
But India has maintained he is not a spy and has accused Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention by failing to provide him with consular access, as well as breaking international human rights law.
The Indian stance was dismissed by Pakistan in its counter-pleading, submitted on December 13, 2017.
In its counter-memorial, Pakistan had stated that Jadhav was not an ordinary person as he had entered the country with the intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.
Later, in a public relations exercise, Pakistan on Christmas arranged a meeting between Jadhav and his mother and wife for about 40 minutes.
Pakistan has maintained that it was “open and transparent” throughout the meeting which necessitated a “comprehensive security check” of the visiting kin.
India submitted its second memorial in the ICJ in April this year.
“Pakistan shall take all measures at its disposal to ensure that Mr Yadav is not executed pending the final decision in these proceedings,” said ICJ President Ronny Abraham.
He also ordered Pakistan to inform the tribunal that it has implemented the decision, and stressed that ICJ decisions are binding on all state members.