(Image source from: Scroll.in)
Kulbhushan Jadhav Case: Pakistan Prepares To File Plea In ICJ:- In response to India’s memorial submitted in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Pakistan has started the process to file its plea in the case. The memorial was submitted against the death sentence of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav.
To be recalled, Pakistani security forces captured Jadhav (46) a retired Indian Navy officer, in Balochistan in March, 2016 and tried in a military court which sentenced him to death for “espionage and subversive activities”.
Before the court could start further proceedings, the ICJ had asked Pakistan to submit its written response or memorial by December 13. According to Foreign Office sources, a meeting of law experts and officials of the ministry of foreign affairs and other relevant departments was presided by Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali on Friday, to discuss the line of arguments in the ICJ.
“We will forcefully defend our position which is based on the fact that Jadhav is a serving Indian spy tasked to carry out subversive activities in Pakistan,” the sources said.
Meanwhile, Ausuf told a leading news channel in order to review the situation and “to finalize Islamabad’s point of view, they had decided to hold weekly meetings. Also, convert it into an appropriate rejoinder to India’s allegations”. he said that they were in touch with relevant stakeholders, including Khawar Qureshi. Qureshi was the one who had pleaded Pakistan’s case at the initial stage, to formalize a robust reply refuting all allegations levelled against Pakistan.
The attorney general’s office is also busy documenting the case and collecting instances of the “atrocities and human rights violations committed by India” in Jammu and Kashmir, reported the channel.
The Pakistan Army, on Thursday, said that on the mercy petition of Jadhav, the Pakistan Army said it is close to a decision. “Kulbhushan Jadhav’s mercy petition has come to the army chief. There is a process, everything goes through a process but I can assure that it is near finalisation and we will give you news about this very soon,” army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said.
Jadhav’s death sentence was confirmed by Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Bajwa on April 10. To seek clemency, an appeal was filed by him with the army chief, which is still pending. A 10-member bench on May 18 restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case, after India approached the ICJ.
Jadhav’s sentencing had evoked a sharp reaction in India. Pakistan was warned by India of consequences and if the “premeditated murder” was carried out, there would be damage to bilateral ties. The ICJ was informed by India in its application, that from a press release, it learnt about the death sentence against Jadhav. Jadhav had served with the Indian Navy, acknowledged India, but denies any connection with the government.
It also said that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran. An appeal by Jadhav’s mother was handed over by India to Pakistan, initiating a process to get his conviction overturned.
SUPRAJA
