Islamabad High Court to take up Indian spy Jadhav case today

A three-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) will take up the government’s appeal to appoint a lawyer for Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav in order to implement the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday (today).

Jadhav — a serving commander of the Indian Navy associated with Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing — was arrested on March 3, 2016, from Balochistan on allegations of espionage and terrorism.

The court had appointed leading lawyers -- Mr Abid Hassan Manto, Mr Hamid Khan, Senior Advocates of the Supreme Court and former presidents of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and Mr Makhdoom Ali Khan, Senior Advocate Supreme Court and former Attorney General of Pakistan -- as amici curiae.

However, till-date no written responses had been submitted by them, the Foreign Office or the attorney general for Pakistan.

Regarding the media reporting, Pemra had filed a reply in the IHC in which it stated that the court had directed for exercising caution while reporting. All the channels had been informed about the court’s directive, it added.

The order was passed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb during a hearing on August 3. The court also directed the government to make another offer to India and Jadhav for appointing the lawyer.

On the other hand, following the court order, the Registrar’s Office had notified the constitution of a larger bench in the Jadhav case. A three-member larger bench, headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah, and comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb will hear the case.