ISLAMABAD/THE HAGUE: Pakistan on Tuesday submitted its reply to India’s arguments in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case, ARY News reported.
According to sources within foreign ministry, Foreign Office’s India Director Dr Fareha Bugti submitted the 400-page document as Pakistan’s second rejoinder to India’s last reply on April 17.
The rejoinder has been prepared by a team of experts led by Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan.
About Jadhav and the case at ICJ
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.
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.
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.
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.
India had moved the International Court of Justice in May last year after Mr Jadhav, 48, was sentenced to death by a military court on charges of espionage.
A 10-member bench of the International Court of Justice on May 18 had restrained Pakistan from executing Mr Jadhav till adjudication of the case.
In its written plea, India had highlighted Pakistan’s violation of the Vienna Convention by not giving consular access to Mr Jadhav, arguing that the convention did not say that such access would not be available to an individual arrested on espionage charges.
In response, Pakistan through its counter-memorial on December 13 told the ICJ that the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963 applied only to legitimate visitors and did not cover clandestine operations.
