Sartaj confirms India petitioned ICJ for stay in Kulbhushan Jadhav’s death sentence

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Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Wednesday—while confirming that India has petitioned the international court of justice for a stay in death penalty of the spy Kulbhushan Jadhav—said that the Foreign Office will issue a statement on the Jhadav case in the next few days.

“We are analysing the Indian petition and the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) authority [on the case],” Aziz said.

According to a press release issued on Tuesday from The Hague-based ICJ, India requested the United Nations’ judicial organ to provide relief “by way of immediate suspension of the sentence of death awarded to the accused.”

In his response, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in a tweet, “Indian letter to ICJ [is an] attempt to divert attention from state sponsored terrorism in Pakistan. Kulbushan [was] convicted of offences against national security.”

Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel was arrested on March 3, 2016, through a counterintelligence operation from Mashkel area of Balochistan for his involvement in espionage and sabotage actives in Pakistan.

India contended that it was not granted consular access to Jadhav, which was in violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. India also claimed that it learned about the death sentence by way of a press release.

According to reports furnished in Indian media, the ICJ has stayed Kulbhushan Jadhav’s death sentence.

Pakistani officials, according to sources, responded that they do not know of any such decision. Without hearing the other party (Pakistan, in this case), no such decision by the ICJ would be applicable to Pakistan, the officials were quoted as saying.

Jadhav, a serving Indian Navy officer and an on-duty RAW operative, was arrested on March 3, 2016, through a counter-intelligence operation from Mashkel area of Balochistan.

He confessed to his involvement in subversive activities in Pakistan in a video statement last year.

On April 10, Jadhav was awarded a death sentence by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) for espionage and sabotage. Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa ratified Jadhav’s sentencing by the Field General Court Martial (FGCM).

“The spy has been tried through FGCM under Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded death sentence. Today, COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa has confirmed death sentence awarded by FGCM,” an ISPR statement said on April 10. “RAW agent Commander Kulbushan Sundir Jadhav was tried under FGCM under section 59 of Pakistan Army Act 1952 and Section 3 of official Secret Act of 1923.”

“The FGCM found Jadhav guilty of all charges. He confessed before a magistrate and the court that he was tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organise espionage/sabotage activities aiming to destabilise and wage war against Pakistan by impeding the efforts of law enforcement agencies for restoring peace in Balochistan and Karachi,” said the ISPR press release.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Classical case of international relations by India. 1) First denial .2) Then acceptance.3) Finally plea for mercy though intenational bodies rather than to Pakistan diplomatically. The guy is not going to be hung!. He was doing his job as pakistanis do in India. . It is the unwritten understanding in international relations.

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