DG ISPR calls ICJ verdict in Kulbhushan Jadhav case another Feb 27 for India

RAWALPINDI: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor on Wednesday called verdict of International Court of Justice in Kulbhushan Jadhav case, a ‘great victory for Pakistan’, ARY News reported.

Talking to ARY News exclusively, DG ISPR congratulated Pakistan’s Foreign Office and legal team for showing all-out efforts in the case.

He said that India had raised five points in the ICJ and almost all of them were overturned by the International Court of Justice in its verdict.

“ICJ’s judgment to not release Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav is a big victory for Pakistan,” said DG ISPR Asif Ghafoor.

He said that ICJ has accepted the stance of Pakistan that Jadhav traveled to Pakistan on an Indian passport. DG ISPR said that Pakistan had knocked the door of ICJ in a very short time and emerged as victorious.

He thanked Almighty Allah for making Pakistani nation and its judiciary system victories.

Earlier in the day, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday issued its verdict in Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case and rejected most of the remedies sought by India.

The court, in its verdict, rejected a number of Indian demands including annulment of military court decision convicting Jadhav, his release and safe passage to India.

The court, however, directed Pakistan to provide effective review and reconsideration of his conviction and sentences according to its own justice system.

“The Court finally considers that a continued stay of execution constitutes an indispensable condition for the effective review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence of Mr.Jadhav,” reads a statement issued by ICJ.

The court had reserved its judgement in the case back in February.

Jadhav’s arrest and death sentence

Pakistani security agencies on March 24, 2016 apprehended an ‘on-duty RAW agent’ from Balochistan. The suspect was said to be an officer of the Indian navy working for the covert agency to destabilize Pakistan.

The operative had contacts with banned organizations and was working on plans to break Karachi and Balochistan away from Pakistan, and to sabotage the billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

On March 25, a day after the arrest, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said the Indian man arrested from Balochistan has no connection with the government, however, admitted that Kulbhushan Yadav is a former officer of the Indian navy.

“He (Jadhav) acquired premature retirement from the Indian navy and since then the government has nothing to do with him,” said Vikas Swarup, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, requesting Pakistan to grant counsellor access to the ‘arrested Indian citizen’.

On April 10, COAS, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa conﬁrmed his death sentence awarded by Field General Court Martial (FGCM).

The spy was tried through (FGCM) under Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded death sentence.

Jadhav was tried by FGCM under section 59 of Pakistan Army Act (PAA) 1952 and Section 3 of ofﬁcial Secret Act of 1923. FGCM found Kulbushan Sudhir Yadhav 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 / 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.