Islamabad, May 19
Facing bitter criticism from the Opposition, the Nawaz Sharif government in Pakistan today filed a plea in the ICJ for it to rehear within six weeks the case of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.
Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz said Islamabad, with a new team of lawyers, would put forward its case vigorously. “Pakistan is set to re-challenge the jurisdiction of the ICJ after it granted injunction on an Indian plea to stay Jadhav’s execution,” Dunya News reported. According to law, Jadhav can challenge till Saturday his death sentence in an appellate court. A military court had sentenced him to death on April 10 on spying and terrorism charges.
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Aziz said the ICJ did not order Pakistan to provide consular access to Jadhav, but had merely put forward an opinion. The Pakistan Government is under attack by the Opposition for “mishandling” the Jadhav case. Two Opposition leaders link the “weak” defence put up by Pakistan to a meeting Sharif had with Indian business tycoon Sajjan Jindal recently. — IANS