India has accused Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention by not giving consular access to Jadhav.
Kulbhushan
Jadhav ICJ Case : Pakistan will file its second counter-memorial
on July 17 in the ICJ on the conviction of Indian national Kulbhushan
Jadhav who was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in
April last year on charges of espionage and terrorism, a media report
said on Thursday.
The
International Court of Justice (ICJ) on January 23 gave a timeline to
both Pakistan and India for filing another round of memorials in the
case.
Pakistan's
memorial will be in response to pleadings filed by India in the
Hague-based ICJ on April 17.
Top
attorney Khawar Qureshi, who pleaded Pakistan's case at the initial
stage, briefed Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk regarding the case last
week, the Express Tribune reported.
Attorney
General for Pakistan
Khalid Javed Khan and other senior officials also attended the
meeting.
According
to the daily, the counter-memorial has been drafted by Qureshi.
After
the submission of the second counter-memorial, the ICJ will fix the
matter for hearing, which is likely to take place next year.
A
senior lawyer, who has expertise in international litigations, told
the Pakistani daily that there is no chance of hearing the case this
year.
Even
the hearing of other matters has already been fixed until March/April
next year, therefore, Jadhav case will be listed in summer next year,
he added.
India
had moved the ICJ in May last year after Jadhav, 48, was sentenced to
death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and
terrorism.
A
10-member Bench of the ICJ on May 18 had restrained Pakistan from
executing Jadhav until adjudication of the case.
In
its written pleadings, India had accused Pakistan of violating the
Vienna Convention by not giving consular access to Jadhav arguing
that the convention did not say that such access would not be
available to an individual arrested on espionage charges.
In
response, Pakistan through its counter-memorial on December 13 told
the ICJ that the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963 applied
only to legitimate visitors and did not cover clandestine operations.
Pakistan
had said that "since India did not deny that Jadhav was
travelling on a passport with an assumed Muslim name, they have no
case to plead."
Pakistan
said that India did not explain how "a serving naval commander"
was travelling under an assumed name.
It
also stated that "since Jadhav was on active duty, it is obvious
that he was a spy sent on a special mission."
Story
By BS
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