ICJ to hear Jadhav case on May 15 ACNews

The Pakistan army hassaid it would respond at an “appropriate level” to any query by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the death sentence given to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav by its military court for “spying”, even as the ICJ announced that a public hearing on the case would be held on May 15.

Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said Jadhav was sentenced by a military court after “due process of law”. “If the ICJ requests Pakistan anything about Jadhav, then the government of Pakistan will respond to it at an appropriate level,” he said.

The statement came after Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on PM Nawaz Sharif and discussed the ICJ’s stay order on Jadhav’s execution.

The Hague court said: “The ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, will hold public hearings on Monday, May 15  in the proceedings instituted by India on May 8 against Pakistan. The hearings will be devoted to the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by India.”

India’s Ministry of External Affairs  told media at Delhi  that India had moved the ICJ as the retired Indian Navy officer was in illegal detention in Pakistan and his life was under threat.

On the reasons India approached the ICJ, MEA spokesman Gopal Baglay said Pakistan denied consular access to Jadhav despite 16 requests and this was in contravention of the Vienna Convention. He refused to get into the realm of conjectures and also refused to comment on Pakistan’s reaction. Pakistan has not responded to Jadhav’s mercy petition and there is no information on the status of an appeal by Jadhav’s family seeking visa to visit him.