Jadhav was involved in terror activities, Pakistan tells ICJ

THE HAGUE: Pakistan on Tuesday in its response into Indian Spy Kulbhushan Jadhav case, at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said that it does not engage the Vienna Convention as the India has failed to prove that Jadhav is its national.

As soon the hearing resumed today, Pakistan submitted a request for the appointment of a new judge as ad hoc judge Tasadduq Hussain Jilani fell ill a day earlier.

ICJ allowed Pakistan to present its arguments without the ad hoc judge.

Khawar Qureshi in his arguments before the court said Jadhav is an Indian spy, who was caught in 2016 over espionage in Pakistan.

Saying that, a decision regarding Kulbhushan’s nationality has not yet been made, Qureshi said, “India did not state whether he is Kulbushan Jadhav or Hussain Mubarak Patel.”

The Pakistani counsel relayed  that how can India demand consular access when it failed in confirming Jadhav’s nationality?” he asked.

“Kulbhushan is a spy and Vienna Convention does not apply to him,” he said.

India’s spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) began to destabilise Balochistan when [Narendra] Modi came into power, he continued.

Responding to Indian allegations about Kulbhushan’s arrest from Iran, Qureshi asked “What investigation did India carry out after his arrest in this regard.”

He clarified, “Iran has nothing to do with the Jadhav case. Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan and not Iran and the story regarding his kidnapping from Iran is baseless.”

‘Jadhav was sent to destabilise Pakistan’ 

Presenting his remarks earlier in the hearing, the Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan said that Kulbhushan, a serving Indian Navy officer was involved in carrying out terror activities to destabilise Pakistan.

“Jadhav confessed his involvement in terror activities and espionage within Pakistan,” he said.

He said Kulbhushan Jadhav arrest is clear evidence of India’s involvement in distributing peace of its neighbouring countries.

India sent Jadhav to sabotage the China Economic Pakistan Corridor (CPEC), Khan said.

Read more: At ICJ, India failed to justify Kulbhushan’s 17 visits to Delhi: FO

The four days hearing of the case will continue till Thursday and the court is expected to announce its judgement by the summer this year.

‘India failed to provide evidence’

The Indian side in its arguments on Monday said that Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav is an innocent businessman and he was entitled to obtain consular access.

India asked the ICJ to order the release of Jadhav. However, it failed to provide evidence in this regard.

The Foreign Office had said India failed to submit any new statement before the ICJ in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case.

The FO said India even could not explain that how Kulbhushan Jadhav managed to get the passport and travel at least 17 times to Delhi.