ICJ fixes Kulbhushan Jadhav case for public hearing from February
The world court will conduct public hearings from February 18 to 21 next year.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has fixed for hearing the case of convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav next year.
“Jadhav Case (India v Pakistan): The Court to hold public hearings from Monday 18 to Thursday 21 February 2019,” the world court said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
In July, Pakistan’s Foreign Office’s Director in India Dr Fareha Bugti had submitted a 400-page document as Pakistan’s second rejoinder to India’s last reply on April 17.
The rejoinder was prepared by a team of experts led by Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan.
India had moved the ICJ in May 2017 after Jadhav was sentenced to death by a military court on charges of espionage. A 10-member bench of the international court on May 18 had restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case.
In an application filed in ICJ, India had termed the conviction as “egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations”. India states that it has been repeatedly denied consular access to Jadhav.
India had alleged that Pakistan arrested Jadhav in Iran and "was then shown to have been arrested in Balochistan" on March 3, 2016. It claimed that he was carrying out business in Iran after being retired from Indian Navy.
India had also alleged that they learnt of the arrest through a press release and were later notified on March 25, 2016.
Jadhav’s confession and trial
On April 11, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had confirmed death sentence of Jadhav who was tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under Pakistan Army Act (PAA). He was tried under section 59 of Pakistan Army Act (PAA) 1952 and Section III of official Secret Act of 1923.
FGCM found Kulbushan SudhirYadhav guilty of all the charges. He confessed before a Magistrate and the Court that he was tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organize espionage and sabotage activities aiming to destabilize and wage war against Pakistan by impeding the efforts of Law Enforcement Agencies for restoring peace in Balochistan and Karachi.
Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel was arrested on March 3, 2016 through a Counter Intelligence Operation from Mashkel, Balochistan.
In March last year, authorities released a video in which the Indian spy confessed to New Delhi’s alleged involvement in terrorist activities in Balochistan. He revealed that he had been directing various activities in Karachi and Balochistan "at the behest of RAW", the Indian intelligence agency, and that he was still with the Indian Navy.
