- Nafees Zakaria says decision to challenge jurisdiction of ICJ was taken after consultation with all institutions, agencies
- Sartaj says ICJ has not ordered Pakistan to provide India with consular access to Jadhav, but has only remarked an opinion
Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said on Thursday that no institution can be a party when it comes to the country’s national security, shortly after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Pakistan to halt the execution of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav until a final decision is reached.
The FO spokesman said that the decision to challenge the jurisdiction of the ICJ was taken after consultation with all the institutions and agencies.
The FO has also requested access to Indian spy Jadhav’s accomplices. Zakaria said that India did not give a positive response to Pakistan’s request regarding access to Jadhav’s accomplices.
The spokesman pointed out of the existence of a bilateral pact on consular access between the two countries since 2008.
Zakaria said that according to the pact’s Article six, the matter of consular access lies solely on the merit of the case.
‘INDIA TRYING TO PORTRAY JADHAV’S SENTENCING AS HUMANITARIAN ISSUE’
Zakaria said India weaved a humanitarian angle in the Jadhav’s case to divert the world’s attention from its real actions: fomenting terrorism inside Pakistan.
“After India stood exposed in state-sponsored terrorism and financing terrorism, it tried to divert attention from presenting the Kulbushan Jadhav case with a humanitarian angle,” he said.
He also said that Pakistan’s stance on the RAW agent is very clear: “It is a matter of national security and we will not compromise on it.”
Talking about the Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice, he said Pakistan’s reply [to the court] was submitted in line with Article 36 of the Vienna Convention, explaining that Pakistan, in some issues, does not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICJ.
Pakistan, he added, “will present solid evidence against the Indian spy in the international court”.
Zakaria said Pakistan had already informed the ICJ that it does not accept the court’s jurisdiction in national security matters.
He also said that the situation of human rights in the Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) is deplorable.
Nafees Zakaria said at least eight people were killed by Indian occupation forces in a shootout in India-occupied Kashmir. He said Pakistan condemns these killings as well as the arrest and persecution of Kashmiri leadership.
The spokesperson said Advisor Foreign Affairs has written a letter to the UN inviting its attention towards demographic changes being engineered by India in Occupied Kashmir in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
Zakaria said that India’s fastest growing nuclear programme in the world has serious implications for the strategic stability in South Asia and national security of Pakistan.
In response to a question, he said India’s move requiring Advisor on Foreign Affairs of Pakistan to write a recommendatory letter to Indian External Affairs Minister for every medical visa case is unprecedented in inter-state relations.
Speaking about the situation on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, he remarked that the border cannot be opened till the situation is completely resolved. He stressed that Afghanistan should initiate peace talks with Pakistan.
On Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to China, he remarked that the trip was quite successful. The premier held meetings with top leaders in China and met the presidents of Russia and Turkey.
ICJ DIDN’T ORDER TO GRANT JADHAV’S CONSULAR ACCESS, SAYS SARTAJ
Meanwhile, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that ICJ has not ordered Pakistan to provide India with consular access to Jadhav but has remarked an opinion.
In his reaction to ICJ’s order to stay Jadhav’s execution, Aziz branded it routine matters, saying that majority of such appeals are entertained by the courts. He said that the decision to provide consular access to Jadhav is yet to be made.
The point to be reviewed is that whether Pakistan’s security is compromised or not if Vienna Convention permits consular access to India.
Aziz further said that details in the issue would be provided by the lawyers and the Attorney General of Pakistan.
