Pak misusing UN court for spreading propaganda: India tells ICJ on Kulbhushan case
New Delhi, Feb 18 (IBNS): At a time when India is in a face-off situation with Pakistan over the Pulwama terror attack, New Delhi on Monday presented the case to seek cancellation of Islamabad's death sentence on Kulbhushan Jadhav - an Indian national held in the neighbouring country on suspicion of spying.
A Pakistani military court in April 2017 sentenced Jadhav to death on charges of espionage and terrorism.
Senior advocate Harish Salve represented India before the International Court of Justice in Hague.
India has accused Pakistan of breaching Vienna Convention by Pakistan and alleged that the country is using the UN court to spread "propaganda" against India
The International Court of Justice has asked Pakistan to hold off the execution till it reaches its final verdict in the case.
Salve was quoted in media as saying: "Pakistan's story has always been strong on rhetoric and blurred on facts. India seeks relief that trial by military court in Pakistan fails to satisfy due processes. Jadhav's continued custody without consular custody should be declared unlawful."
India said that it did not receive any material that Jadhav had committed any crime for which he could tried in India, Pakistan solicitor claimed in the court.
Jadhav, 48, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of 'espionage' in April 2017 but after Indian government moved the international court, the 10-member bench of the ICJ on May 18, 2017 had given a stay order and 'restrained' Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case.
The hearing on the case at the ICJ as per a timetable for the public hearing in the case will be held from Feb 18 to 21.
In its written pleadings, India has accused Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention by not giving consular access to Jadhav arguing that the convention did not say that such access would not be available to an individual arrested on espionage charges.
India has said the so called trial of Jadhav by a military court in Pakistan was "farcical".
Later in December, 2017, Kulbhushan Jadhav was allowed to meet his wife and mother but later on MEA in Delhi said it appeared Jadhav was “under considerable stress” and “speaking in an atmosphere of coercion”.
“The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Jadhav’s alleged activities,” the ministry had said in a statement.
“The Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner that violated the letter and spirit of our understandings," it had said.
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