Pakistan to implement ICJ verdict on Jadhav

islamabad — Pakistan on Thursday said that it was committed to implementing the July 17 verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding provision of consular access to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Ayesha Farooqui said that Pakistan, in the spirit of upholding the ICJ decision, had twice granted consular access to Jadhav besides offering India a third time access to its national.

The spokesperson pointed out that the government had also moved the Islamabad High Court to appoint a lawyer for Kulbhushan Jadhav in a bid to give him a fair chance of trial following his death sentence.

Kulbhushan Jadhav, the serving Indian navy commander, was arrested from Balochistan in March 2016, and was given death sentence by a Field-General Court Marshal on charges of terrorism and espionage on April 10, 2017.

The ICJ in its final verdict rejected India’s plea to acquit, release and return Jadhav. However, it asked Pakistan for an ‘effective review and reconsideration’ of the death sentence.

Farooqui said India, so far, had not yet responded to Pakistan’s offer of consular access and also a meeting between Jadhav and his father.

She said Pakistan’s position on Palestine was principled and remained the same.

The spokesperson said that Pakistan had invited Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah for a visit, the details of which would be released soon.

She mentioned that on July

14, Afghan National Forces fired shells towards Pakistan and also shelled Mohmand and Bajaur agencies again on July 15, causing loss of lives.

She said Pakistan was not using artillery and mortars on the Afghan border as a matter of policy.

She said Pakistan supported Libya’s national integrity and sovereignty and desired resolution of the issue in accordance with the UN resolutions. —