IHC to take up Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav case today
- By Jahangir Aslam -
- Mar 09, 2021
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear the petition seeking the appointment of a lawyer for the Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav today, ARY News reported on Tuesday.
A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) comprising Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb will hear the case at 2:00 pm today.
Despite the issuance of notices multiple times, the Indian Embassy has not made any response regarding the appointment of a defence counsel for Kulbhushan Jadhav.
Read: Consular access: Kulbhushan Jadhav, Indian diplomats traded barbs during meeting
In the previous hearing, the court had appointed its amici curiae for legal assistance in the case. Mr Abid Hassan Manto, Hamid Khan and Attorney General had not submitted their response.
On July 22, the federal government had filed a petition in the IHC seeking the appointment of defence counsel for Kulbhushan Jadhav.
The IHC in its Aug 7 verdict had said: “We appoint 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 for our legal assistance in general and, in particular, to ensure that the judgement of the International Court is effectively implemented.”
Read: India looking for escape in Kulbhushan Jadhav case: Foreign Office
Later on October 1, Senior Advocate Supreme Court (SC) and former Attorney General of Pakistan, Makhdoom Ali Khan, had excused from legally assisting the high court as amicus curiae in the case.
Jadhav has been in Pakistan’s custody following his arrest from Balochistan in a counter-intelligence operation on March 3, 2016. During the investigation, he confessed to his involvement in terrorist activities inside Pakistan that resulted in the loss of many precious human lives.
He also made important revelations about RAW’s role in sponsoring state terrorism in Pakistan.