India launched "lawfare" against Pakistan for strategic coercion in the World
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ISLAMABAD - International Law expert Ahmer Bilal Soofi Thursday said 'Lawfare’ is replacing ‘warfare’ in current world arenas and Pakistan’s complaints against India are good example of using international laws for strategic coercion.
He urged the legal fraternity and government officials to look into international disputes like Kashmir and Palestine with a legal approach instead of just emotional attachment.
He stated this while addressing a Seminar on ‘Lawfare as a Tool of Strategic Coercion: A Case Study of Mumbai Attacks’.
The Seminar was organized by the Research Society on International Law (RSIL). Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) Gen. Zubair Hayat was the Chief Guest.
Former Secretary Interior Syed Kamal Shah, former IGP Punjab Shaukat Javed, former Deputy High Commissioner to India Ambsdr (r) Afrasaib Mehdi Hashmi Qureshi and former DG Arms Control and Disarmament Affairs Khalid Banuri attended on special invitation. Representatives from the law fraternity, diplomats and academicians were present, said a press release. In his address, Ahmer Bilal Soofi, discussed the case study of the 2008 Mumbai Attacks and the legal avenues, pursued by India in its aftermath. He highlighted how in the era of globalization and emergence of international law, lawfare has begun to be weaponized by States and as a nation Pakistan must also be equipped to avert such strategies being employed against it.
Soofi gave several examples of the use of lawfare in modern international relations.
Subsequent to a thorough review of the legal documents concerning the Ajmal Kasab case, Soofi discussed the need for a counter-narrative to be developed by Pakistan on the subject based on a cogent legal analysis of the situation.
This would be based on assessing why India had withheld its cooperation leading to critical problems in the prosecution in Pakistan of those allegedly involved in the Mumbai Attacks, he added.
Prime amongst these was the ‘evidence’ which India had furnished which would, in fact, be inadmissible even in its own courts as it did not conform to the basic laws of evidence in either country, he said.
Referring to Kashmir Day marked on February 5, Soofi noted how the Indian Government had employed advanced lawfare tactics to delegitimize the genuine freedom struggle of the Kashmiri people and deny them their right to self-determination.
Suggesting a future course of action, he recommended enhancing the Mutual Legal Assistance Framework between the two countries, improving the capacity of concerned stakeholders, and highlighting the sacrifices and progress Pakistan has made in the field of counter-terrorism.
Ahmer Bilal Soofi Pakistan and India would have to resolve these issues to improve bilateral relations in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision for peace in the region.
Bilal Soofi’s talk was followed by a panel discussion wherein Ambassador (r) Afrasiab Mehdi Hashmi Qureshi which appreciated the efforts by RSIL and noted that immediately after the Mumbai Attacks, India commenced anti-Pakistan propaganda at international fora and also briefed Ambassadors from European, African, Middle Eastern and other States.
Syed Kamal Shah, former Secretary Interior noted that there was a critical need to highlight Indian abuses of human rights in the region. He said that India’s insistence on only discussing terrorism at bilateral meetings only served to hide its own human rights atrocities in the region.
He noted Pakistan must enhance its capabilities to effectively highlight such atrocities and bring India to account. In relation to the Mumbai trials, he added that Ajmal Kasab was issued a domicile from Uter Perdesh (UP) but India did not entertain Pakistan’s request for inquiry into the matter.
He concluded by stating that the Indian stance lacks international credibility and should be fully exposed. Former Director General of Arms Control and Disarmament Affairs at the Strategic Planning Division Khalid Banuri lauded the efforts of the Research Society of International Law in reaching out to the various segments of society and for undertaking endeavours for the betterment of the country.
