India, Pakistan told to make submission in Jadhav case in ICJ

NEW DELHI: The International Court of Justice has asked India to make its submission by September 13 in the case relating to Kulbushan Jadhav who faces execution in Pakistan as an alleged spy.

Similarly, Islamabad has to make a counter-submission by December 13 before the UN court starts hearing the matter. Disclosing this, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Gopal Baglay dismissed Pakistan media reports that the world court during a meeting with India and Pakistan representatives on June 8 had rejected India’s request for six months to file a plea in the case.

Baglay said the representatives of the two countries met ICJ President Ronny Abraham to discuss timelines on when the two parties needed to make further submissions in the case. He said the court directed India to submit its plea on September 13 and Pakistan to file a counter plea on December 13 this year. “After that what happens that will be up to the court to decide.

First, it will be India’s memorial (documents and evidences to be submitted in support of the case) and then Pakistan’s memorial. Then the court will see if there is a requirement for further submissions and counter-submissions and then it will decide to hold the hearings,” Asked if the next hearing was likely to take place in January next year, Baglay said it was “premature” to say that.

“Whether the hearing is held in January 2018 or not that is the decision which the court will take after assessing both the memorial and counter-memorial and whether there is a need for further documents to be filed.”