IHC asks if India serious in pursuing Jadhav case

Directs federal govt to ask India if it wants to follow up on Kulbhushan case; adjourns hearing till February 3

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed the federal government on Thursday to ask the Indian government whether it wanted to follow/plead the case of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

A larger bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the Ministry of Law's plea regarding provision of counsel to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav for the implementation of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) decision.

Deputy Attorney General Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah said that the attorney general was busy with the hearing of the presidential reference in the Supreme Court (SC) hence, could not appear at the IHC today.

On the chief justice's inquiry regarding release of Indian prisoners, Shah said four Indian prisoners had been released, while the last Indian prisoner, Muhammad Ismail, will be released on the 22nd of this month.

“Is the Indian government not serious in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav?” Justice Minallah further inquired.

“The government should once again contact India and ask whether it wants to pursue the Kulbhushan case or not,” he added.

Further hearing of the case was adjourned till February 3.

A month ago, Pakistan had categorically rejected “incorrect” and “misleading” assertions made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs regarding legal proceedings currently taking place in the case of Indian Naval Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The Foreign Office, in a statement, said that it was evident that by casting aspersions on the Indian High Commission’s own legal counsel, the Indian government was looking for an escape from the legal proceedings in the case.

“The government of India is reminded that in pursuance of the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Pakistan had invited the Indian High Commission to meet with Commander Jadhav and appoint a lawyer on his behalf so that proceedings to review and reconsider Commander Jadhav’s conviction could commence,” said the statement.