News Desk |
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Asif Ghafoor, on Wednesday, stated that the verdict given by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is a win for Pakistan as it upholds the system of Pakistani military courts, and has succeeded in defeating Indian propaganda and “false narratives” emerging from New Delhi.
Speaking to a private news channel, the DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor noted; “The verdict of the International Court of Justice has endorsed and validated the credibility of our military judicial system, and we welcome this decision.”
Another Surprise for India
Responding to the news emanating from India in celebration of the ICJ’s verdict, regarding their favor, DG ISPR noted, “I think it’s another 27th February (IAF’s botched airstrike in Balakot) for India, they have received yet another surprise. They believed that their political maneuvering would allow them to manipulate justice, but they were proven wrong.”
India’s demands consisted of five points, the first was to declare the verdict of the military courts a violation of international laws, which was rejected by the ICJ.
He went onto say, “On 27th February, we shot down two of their planes, they lost one of their helicopters, and we captured their pilot, who was returned promptly after. However, they stubbornly clung to their false narrative of shooting down an F16.”
DG ISPR noted, “The verdict of the ICJ court practically holds them responsible for undertaking state-sponsored terrorism.”
“The verdict has rejected the points put forward by India, and Pakistan’s stance has been validated.” DG ISPR Asif Ghafoor went onto commend the attorney general and their legal team, especially Queen’s Counsel Barrister Khawar Qureshi and the foreign office team who collaborated to present Pakistan’s case.
Read more: ICJ rejects plea to send Jadhav back to India
Narrating the challenges of choosing the right lawyer for such a high-profile case and the differences of opinions that emerged, DG ISPR noted, “The Army Chief took this responsibility, and he selected Khawar Qureshi, who is a Queen’s Counsel.” DG ISPR stated that Barrister Khawar Qureshi’s reputation urged Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa to select him for this grand responsibility, and the credit certainly goes to him.
A Win for Pakistan
Shedding light on the verdict and Indian demands, Major General Asif Ghafoor noted, “India’s demands consisted of five points, the first was to declare the verdict of the military courts a violation of international laws, which was rejected by the ICJ.”
DG ISPR added, “The second was to set aside the verdict of the military court, which the ICJ did not set aside. The third demand was the release of Kulbhushan Jadhav and sending him back to India, which was also rejected. Then, they put forward a new demand that if Kulbhushan is not to be released, the punishment awarded by the military court must be set aside, and Jadhav should be tried in a civil court and provided with consular access.”
Major General Asif Ghafoor noted that India demanded a retrial in a civilian court, and argued that reviewing the decision would not be adequate. However, the International Court of Justice has neither ordered Jadhav’s release, nor has it set aside the verdict of the military court.
We stated that Jadhav is a serving Indian Navy officer, which India could not deny. We provided evidence of his terrorist activities, which was endorsed. The court also validated that Jadhav travelled with a valid Indian passport under a fake name.
The military spokesperson went onto explain, “When you approach a global platform such as the ICJ where capital punishment is actively discouraged, if such a court does not set aside the verdict of the military court, it indicates a major win for Pakistan.”
“The best part of the ICJ verdict, which validates Pakistan’s judicial system, is that the ‘review and reconsideration to the means of Pakistan’s own choosing’, allowing Pakistan to reconsider and review the case in a manner of its choice.”
DG ISPR noted that the verdict by the military court was bound to be reconsidered and reviewed as part of an in-built process. Referring to Pakistan’s statements at the ICJ, DG ISPR noted, “We stated that Jadhav is a serving Indian Navy officer, which India could not deny. We provided evidence of his terrorist activities, which was endorsed. The court also validated that Jadhav travelled with a valid Indian passport under a fake name.”
The military spokesperson noted that the verdict of the military court was strictly in line with international legal norms and regulation. He explained that the Field General Court Martial in the army is an extension of Pakistan’s judicial system as opposed to being a separate entity.
Read more: Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case: Foreign Minister, DG ISPR and experts laud ICJ’s verdict
DG ISPR maintained that Pakistan has always respected international laws, and the ICJ could not have ushered in a more justified and valid verdict. He noted that the verdict of the ICJ has declared India to be a terrorist state. He noted, “The international community is now well aware of the role India has been playing within Pakistani territory.”
Addressing the press on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi also noted that the ICJ has rejected all the demands put forward by India.
Foreign Minister Qureshi said, “Look at their prayer, they wanted acquittal that has not been accepted, they wanted release that has not been accepted, they wanted return that has been rejected. If they still want to claim victory, good luck.”
"1) They wanted acquittal, that's not been accepted.
2) They wanted release, thats not been accepted.
3) They wanted return, that has been rejected.
If they still want to claim victory…. Good Luck! – @SMQureshiPTI#KulbushanVerdict pic.twitter.com/gfbe66GgKh— PTI (@PTIofficial) July 17, 2019