News Analysis |
The ‘International Court for Justice’ has fixed the date for the public hearing of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav case between Pakistan and India in February 2019. The United Nations’ top court confirmed the development in a press release—which published the dates for the public hearing from Monday 18 to Thursday 21 February 2019, at the peace palace at The Hague.
According to the schedule released, India will present its arguments on Monday 18 February 10 a.m.-1 p.m, while Pakistan on Tuesday 19 February 10 a.m.-1 p.m. In the second round, India will present arguments on Wednesday 20 February 3 p.m.-4.30 p.m and Pakistan on Thursday 21 February 4.30 p.m.-6 p.m.
India had termed Jadhav’s conviction as “egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations,” and demanded the restraint on his execution.
In April last year, Pakistan’s military court had sentenced the former Indian Navy soldier, aged 47, to death on spying charges. In July this year, in its response to India’s arguments on Jadhav conviction, Pakistan’s Foreign Office’s Director in India Dr.
Fareha Bugti has submitted a 400-page document at ICJ as Pakistan’s second rejoinder that argues that the Vienna Convention is not applicable in the case of Jadhav, who is a commissioned officer in the Indian Navy and was serving with spy agency RAW at the time of his capture in Pakistan in March 2016.
Read more: Kulbhushan Jadhav Case: India to submit reply in ICJ today
Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan led a team of experts, which prepared the rejoinder. Earlier, in May, Indian government approached the International court to stop Kulbushan Jadhav’s execution. India had termed Jadhav’s conviction as “egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations,” and demanded the restraint on his execution.
Subsequently, on May 18, 2017, the 10-member bench of the ICJ had ordered Pakistan to stop the execution until adjudication of the case. “Pakistan should take all measures to ensure that Mr. Jadhav is not executed till the final decision of this court,” the ICJ said.
The number of revelations from within Pakistan and across the border has brought forward credible information regarding his employment as an Indian Spy.
Pakistan maintains that security forces arrested him from Baluchistan in March 2016 after entering the country from Iran with the intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities. He was arrested through a Counter Intelligence Operation from Mashkel, Baluchistan. The Indian government denies these claims.
On the contrary, during the trial proceedings, Yadhav confessed that RAW had tasked him to plan, coordinate and organize espionage and sabotage activities aiming to destabilize and wage war against Pakistan. He was specifically assigned the job to impede the efforts of Law Enforcement Agencies for restoring peace in Baluchistan and Karachi.
Read more: ‘Kulbhushan Jadhav is a RAW spy’, The Quint confirmed then took…
Moreover, in March 2017, in a video footage released, Indian spy admitted the involvement of India in terrorist activities in Baluchistan and revealed that he was the man behind various terrorist activities at the behest of RAW. In February this year, one of the reputed Indian magazines, Frontline [of well-known and credible media houses] has acknowledged that India is engaged in a covert war against Pakistan
In spite of this, the Indian government has remained in continuous denial over the real identity of Kulbhushan Jadhav and confronted Pakistan at all levels on the issue. India has long ignored the credible voices from outside and within, which comply by Pakistan’s claims long denied by India.
The case in “The Hague” presents a golden opportunity for Pakistan to prove India’s involvement in the covert operations to disrupt normal peaceful life in Pakistan.
The fact has established after the investigation of India’s own investigative journalists that according to the Gazette of India records, Jadhav was “inducted into the Navy in 1987, with the service number 41558Z, Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav would likely have been promoted to the rank of commander after 13 years of service, in 2000”.
It is speculated that in post 26/11 scenarios, it was Jadhav himself, who had floated an idea to launch a counter-attack on Pakistan’s port city Karachi to avenge Mumbai attacks. He was part of an ambitious plan to facilitate the front-line intelligence work through covert operations and stayed on the payroll of RAW.
Read more: Kulbhashan Jadhav had also planned attack on Pakistani Consulate in Zahedan
The number of revelations from within Pakistan and across the border has brought forward credible information regarding his employment as an Indian Spy. In the light of such extraordinary investigation, it is pertinent to say that Jadhav is indeed an Indian spy who operated in Pakistan and is directly responsible for deaths of many innocent Pakistani nationals.
Despite having the strong case against the culprit and possession of multiple proofs of his activities in Pakistani territory, Pakistan did not succeed entirely to convince the international community of India’s involvement in terrorism and Jhadav’s spying and other disruptive activities against Pakistan.
Read more: Indian magazine Frontline acknowledges Jadhav as spy on RAW payroll
The Indian government nevertheless continues to play dirty games and politics over the issue. The case in “The Hague” presents a golden opportunity for Pakistan to prove India’s involvement in the covert operations to disrupt normal peaceful life in Pakistan.