BackICJ verdict: what India and Pakistan said in Kulbhushan Jadhav case
The International Court of Justice will announce its verdict in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case on Thursday at 3.30pm. Here's how India and Pakistan have contested the case
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New Delhi: The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) is set to deliver verdict in the Kulbhusan Jadhav row on Thursday at 3.30pm today, just 10 days after India approached it demanding immediate suspension of the death sentence given to its former Navy officer by a Pakistan military court.
India approached the ICJ on 8 May after Pakistan turned down its request to grant consular access 16 times.
Earlier on Monday, both India and Pakistan presented their arguments in front of the court with India represented by former Solicitor General Harish Salve.
India has accused Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention and conducting a “farcical trial" for convicting Jadhav without a “shred of evidence" following which the court had stayed his execution.
Here’s a recap of what arguments and contesting positions India and Pakistan took on Monday:
On Kulbhushan Jadhav’s identity
India: Jadhav was abducted from Iran in 2016, and that there has been no credible explanation by Pakistan how he was found there. India also says that Jadhav is a former navy officer and was engaged in business activities in Iran.
Pakistan: Jadhav was captured by the Pakistani military on 3 March 2016 in Balochistan while trying to cross into Pakistan from Iran. Pakistan claims that Jadhav has confessed that he is a serving officer. Pakistan also says that Jadhav has two Indian passports, including one under the alias of Hussein Mubarak Patel.
On Kulbhushan Jadhav’s consular access
India: Pakistan has violated the Vienna Convention of consular access by denying the Indian national any representation. Islamabad has turned down India’s demand for access as many as 16 times. Salve told the ICJ that “even at this stage Kulbhushan Jadhav has neither consular access nor legal representation."
Pakistan: Vienna Convention provisions not intended to apply to a ‘spy’ involved in terror activities, responded Pakistan foreign official. He instead said that India was using the court as the “scene of political theatre".
On execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav’s death sentence
India: India demanded the immediate suspension of Kulbhushan Jadhav’s death sentence, expressing fears that Pakistan could execute him even before the hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was over.
Pakistan: “We will not respond in kind," said Pakistan foreign office official, but said that Jadhav will not be immediately executed at all, he has six months time.
— with PTI inputs
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