ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad high court on Monday ordered the Pakistan government to give India a ‘chance’ to appoint a representative for Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian man condemned to death on charges of spying, Pakistani media reported.
Former Indian Naval Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested in 2016 in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Baluchistan and convicted of espionage and sabotage by a Pakistani military court a year later.
India took the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which ordered a stay on Jadhav’s execution in 2019, as well as consular access for India. Pakistan was also ordered to conduct an “effective review” of the death penalty.
Indian officials say they have been prevented from obtaining Jadhav’s written consent to arrange legal representation, necessary for a review of his case. Earlier this month, Pakistan invited India to file a review against the death sentence in light of the ICJ judgment.
A two-member bench comprising IHC chief justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard a petition filed by the Pakistan government to appoint a lawyer for Jadhav on Monday.
Responding to the judge’s remarks, Pakistan’s Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan said an ordinance had been passed by parliament recently to give an opportunity to India and Jadhav to file a review petition against the sentence.
“We will contact India again through the Foreign Office,” he said.
Under the ‘International Court of Justice Review and Reconsideration Ordinance 2020’, which was enacted on May 20, a petition for the review of a military court’s decision can be filed with the Islamabad high court through an application within 60 days of its promulgation.
The Pakistan government has said Jadhav refuses to file a review petition or an application to reconsider the military court’s verdict.
Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said last week Pakistan had blocked all avenues for effective remedy available to India in the Jadhav case, saying New Delhi has so far requested consular access to Jadhav for 12 times over the past one year.
Islamabad court orders government to allow India to appoint lawyer for Kulbhushan Jadhav
https://arab.news/5bdht
Islamabad court orders government to allow India to appoint lawyer for Kulbhushan Jadhav
- The former naval commander was arrested in 2016 in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Baluchistan and convicted of espionage
- India took the matter to the International Court of Justice which ordered a stay on Jadhav’s execution in 2019
Pakistan minister voices optimism ahead of Istanbul talks with Kabul over militancy
- Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been high in recent months following an uptick in attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces
- The two countries engaged in fierce fighting last month and are due to meet in Istanbul on Nov. 6 to firm up a ceasefire reached in Doha
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign minister on Tuesday expressed optimism ahead of talks with Afghanistan in Istanbul that the two neighbors could work together to address cross-border militancy and strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been high in recent months following an uptick in attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces that border Afghanistan. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of allowing the use of their soil for these attacks, an allegation Kabul denies.
The two countries engaged in fierce fighting last month after Pakistan hit what it called TTP-affiliated targets in Afghanistan. Both sides reached a ceasefire in Doha on Oct. 19 and are due to meet in Istanbul on Nov. 6 to finalize a mechanism to keep militancy along their 2,600-kilometer border in check.
Addressing the upper house of parliament, FM Ishaq Dar said he “received six calls” from his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi on Monday and told him that he supported Afghanistan as a neighboring Muslim country, but the rise in cross-border militancy had left him in a difficult position.
“I am among those who want to move forward positively with Afghanistan, Iran and all our neighboring countries. This is my responsibility on behalf of Pakistan,” Dar said, briefing Senate members about Pakistan’s talks with Afghanistan.
“My wish and prayer is that these matters be resolved and that we help one another.”
The TTP is responsible for some of the bloodiest attacks in Pakistan, including on churches, schools and the shooting of Malala Yousafzai, who survived the 2012 attack after she was targeted for her campaign against the Taliban’s efforts to deny women education. The group has stepped up its attacks against Pakistani security forces and law enforcement agencies in recent years.
Pakistani forces were able to effectively dismantle the TTP and kill most of its top leaders in a string of military operations from 2014 onwards in the country’s northwestern tribal areas, driving most of the fighters into neighboring Afghanistan.
Without naming anyone, Dar blamed the former government of Prime Minister Imran Khan for holding talks with the TTP and providing space to its fighters to regroup in the region.
“That was the biggest mistake. I am not against any person or any government, but this is a fact,” he said. “We must pull ourselves together so that such mistakes are not repeated, whether it’s our government or any other.”
