India asked to cooperate with courts

ALI HUSSAIN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday asked India to cooperate with its courts to give effect to the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ’s) verdict in the Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case for review and reconsideration against his conviction.

Speaking at her weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said that Pakistan remained committed to the implementation of the ICJ’s judgment of 17 July 2019.

She said that necessary steps had been taken in that regard, including provision of unimpeded and uninterrupted consular access to India.

India has, however, been using various pretexts to hinder the process for review and reconsideration, she added.

She said the first consular access was provided to the Indian spy on 2nd September 2019, while the second consular access was provided on 16th July 2020.

She said that Pakistan had also offered a third consular access to India.

However, there has been no response from the Indian side so far, she added.

“We hope that rather than using its usual dilatory and obfuscatory tactics, India will cooperate with Pakistan’s courts to give effect to the Judgment of the ICJ,” she added.

She pointed out that the ICJ asked Pakistan to review and reconsider the conviction and sentence of Commander Jadhav.

In recognition of its international obligation, she added, Pakistan promulgated the Ordinance 2020, under which Jadhav and India were invited to file review proceedings before the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

“Neither has done so till date. Accordingly, to comply with the directive of the ICJ, the Federation has filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court for appointment of a lawyer for Commander Jadhav, so that review proceedings can be initiated,” she added.

Responding to a query, she said that Pakistan is a responsible member of the international community and “we are very aware of our international obligations”.

“So any obligation with regards to reporting to the ICJ will be fulfilled, as and when required,” she added.

To another question whether “concessions will also be considered for political prisoners in Gilgit-Baltistan ‘the way it is being given to Jadhav’”, the spokesperson said that judicial process in Pakistan was available for all those who wanted to seek justice.

To another question, she said that on 14 July 2020, Afghan forces resorted to unprovoked artillery fire from inside Afghanistan and targeted civil population in Kaga Village, Bajaur District.

As a result, four artillery rounds landed inside civil settlement causing damages to livestock, properties and injuries to a civilian woman, she said.

On 15 July 2020 at 1535 hours, she added that the Afghan forces again fired artillery rounds targeting civiliansand Pakistan military posts at Nawapass, Spina Sukha and Bango Sar in Mohmand and Bajaur districts in which three civilians had died.

It also resulted in injuries to seven other civilians and two army personnel.

“Pakistan deplores the unprovoked artillery fire by ANDSF and considers it detrimental to existing coordination and cooperation mechanism between the two countries. Pakistan is not using artillery across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as a matter of policy,” she said.

However, use of artillery and mortar fire by the ANDSF is regarded as counter-productive towards the efforts to maintain peace and tranquility along the border, she added.

She said that Pakistan has requested Afghanistan to abide by the terms and conditions of existing coordination and cooperation mechanism in true letter and spirit.

About the expected visit of Afghan leader Abdullah Abdullah, she said the invitation had been extended to him.

“We hope this visit can take place soon at a mutually convenient time,” she added.

She further said that Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APPAPS) takes forward bilateral relationship with Afghanistan and is very much a part of discussion between the two sides.