Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The government on Wednesday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to appoint a legal representative for the Indian spy, Kulbhushan Jadhav.
The move was made in the light of the International Court of Justice’s July 17, 2019 decision, following which the International Court of Justice (Review and Reconsideration) Ordinance, 2020 was enacted to implement the court’s verdict.
The federation, through the defense secretary and the Judge Advocate General branch of General Headquarters, has been made a party in the petition filed by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
According to the petition, Jadhav refused to file a petition against his sentence. The Indian spy cannot appoint a lawyer in Pakistan without India’s assistance, while New Delhi is also reluctant to avail the facility under the ordinance, the petition said.
The government, in the petition, has asked the court to appoint a legal representative for Jadhav so that Pakistan can fulfil its responsibility to see to the implementation of the ICJ’s decision.
On July 17, Pakistan had provided Jadhav consular access for a third time, after the second opportunity was not availed.
A day prior, Foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that India’s ill-intentions were revealed when Pakistan provided New Delhi’s diplomats uninterrupted consular access to the RAW spy for a second time at the country’s own request, but they left without meeting him in Islamabad, saying the environment was “unsuitable”.
Commander Jadhav — an Indian Navy officer working for Indian covert agency Research and Analysis Wing — was arrested on March 3, 2016, from Balochistan after he entered Pakistan from Iran.
