Jadhav’s trial: Pakistan will forcefully present its case at ICJ, says speaker

Opposition not satisfied with Pakistan’s performance in the first hearing

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has said that Pakistan will forcefully present its case on Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav during the next hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) scheduled for June 8.

Sadiq was talking to the media on Tuesday after a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security discussed Pakistan’s performance at The Hague court.

The international court had stayed Jadhav’s execution till a final outcome of the hearing. Jadhav was awarded death sentence by a military court in Pakistan for spying and subversive activities in the country.



The speaker told the media that all members of the parliamentary committee discussed the case as a national issue, leaving aside their political affiliations. “The judicial process of the case will be discussed in the next meeting of the committee on May 30,” he added.

During the meeting, Sadiq said, the members gave their input and critically reviewed the situation. He said no political talk was made during the discussion.

“It’s an issue of national interest, and everybody has concerns and wants Pakistan to win this case at the ICJ,” he said.



During the meeting, however, the government failed to remove reservations of the opposition members over Jadhav’s case at the ICJ.

Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali had briefed the committee members on the performance of Pakistani lawyers at the ICJ.

The opposition members expressed dissatisfaction over the government performance and the briefing given to them.

Sheikh Rasheed of the Awami Muslim League, while leaving the committee’s meeting, said the Attorney General of Pakistan faced critical questions at the ICJ on the judicial process of the case.



“The government was not prepared to brief the members properly over the issue,” he said, adding that the government had assured them of satisfactory replies to their queries at the next meeting of the committee.

MQM-Pakistan leader Dr Farooq Sattar also seemed dissatisfied over the briefing by the government.

Those also participating in the meeting included Aftab Sherpao, Shireen Mazari, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Dr Farooq Sattar, Sherry Rehman, Saeed Mandokhel, Mushahid Ullah Khan, Zahid Hamid and Ministry of Foreign Affairs secretary Tehmina Janjua.