KARACHI: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will begin public hearings pertaining to Pakistan’s decision to execute Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav from Monday, May 15, according to statements released from the international court.
The Indian media on May 10 claimed that the ICJ had granted stay in Kulbhushan Jadhav’s death sentence.
However, the Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz has said that the Indian petition and the ICJ’s authority regarding the case is still being determined by the Foreign Office.
“The hearings will be devoted to the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by India,” said a statement released by ICJ on Wednesday night.
Earlier, India requested the United Nations’ judicial branch to intervene “by way of immediate suspension of the sentence of death awarded to the accused”. India alleged that the sentence was in violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, since Jadhav wasn’t given any consular access.
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 stance is 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.
PML-L and COAS should seek financial assistance from India against swapping of Kulbhushan Jadav to fill their own pockets.
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