ISLAMABAD- Pakistan is expected to file its counter rejoinder on or beforeJuly 17 in the ICJ relating to the case of Indian national KulbhushanJadhav, who was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in Aprillast year on charges of espionage and terrorism, a media report said onThursday.
Pakistan’s rejoinder will be in response to a fresh set of pleadings filedby India in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on April 17 relatingto the case. The office of Pakistan’s attorney general, which is overseeingthe case, is expected to receive the copy of the Indian rejoinder in a dayor two, Dawn reported. Khawar Qureshi, who pleaded Pakistan’s case at theinitial stage, is expected to plead the case, the report said.
India had moved the Hague-based ICJ in May last after Jadhav, 47, wassentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionageand terrorism. A 10-member bench of the ICJ on May 18 had restrainedPakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case.
In its written pleadings, India had accused Pakistan of violating theVienna Convention by not giving consular access to Jadhav arguing that theconvention did not say that such access would not be available to anindividual arrested on espionage charges.
In response, Pakistan through its counter memorial told the ICJ that theVienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963 applied only to legitimatevisitors and did not cover clandestine operations. India has beenmaintaining that the trial of Jadhav by a military court in Pakistan was”farcical”.
Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from restiveBalochistan province on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered fromIran.