Pakistani court grants more time to India in spy Kulbhushan Jadhav case

ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday granted time to the Indian High Commission's lawyer to get instructions from his client Kulbhushan Jadhav in the case.

Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan pleaded that the Federal government was taking all measures to ensure implementation of the decision of International Court Justice (ICJ).

The IHC chief justice asked about the removal of Indian reservations.

To this, the attorney general said the neighboring country deliberately did not want to be part of the court proceedings.

The government had offered counselor access to India through its high commission to its spy third time, he said.

The attorney general said the Indian High Commission had approached the IHC in another case pertaining to its prisoners but it was not cooperating with the court in the Jadhav case. The other petition of high commission was fixed for hearing on the same day, he informed the court and said India could become party in Jadhav case through its counsel.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said Indian cooperation was necessary for implementation of the ICJ decision, adding that it could approach the court if it had reservations.

Meanwhile, Indian High Commission's lawyer Shahnawaz Noon appeared before the court in another case pertaining to prisoner Jaspal and adopted the stance that he had been instructed to get some documents from the attorney general office but he had been refused. To this, the IHC chief justice said the lawyer should have approached the court if he could not get documents.

On the query of the bench pertaining to Kulbhushan Jadhav case and consular access, the Indian High Commission's lawyer said he would inform the court after taking instructions from his client.

He requested the court to grant one-week time which was accepted by the bench.

The bench adjourned the hearing in the case till December 1.

A larger bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and comprised Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb conducted the hearing on a petition of law ministry seeking to appoint a lawyer for Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to file review petition against his death sentence.