ICJ verdict on Kulbhushan Jadhav at 3.30 p.m. today
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is set to announce its verdict in Kulbushan Jadhav case at 3:30 pm on (IST) today.
The UN’s top court is to decide on an Indian appeal for suspending Pakistan’s planned execution of the Kulbhushan Jadhav, saying his rights had been violated by Islamabad, reports said on Wednesday.
The ICJ had on Monday reserved its verdict after hearing viewpoints of both Pakistan and India on the conviction of Jadhav, who was sentenced to death by a Pakistan Field General Court Martial (FGCM) last month.
Pakistan challenged the jurisdiction of the ICJ to hear the Indian application regarding the conviction of spy Kulbhushan Jadhav by Pakistan.
Presenting its arguments before the court, Pakistan maintained that the ICJ did not have jurisdiction to hear the Indian application, Radio Pakistan reported.
India had appealed to the UN’s top court to order Pakistan to suspend its planned execution of Jadhav, saying his rights had been violated by Islamabad.
Harish Salve, leading the Indian legal team, had focused his arguments on Pakistan’s denial of consular access to Jadhav as he presented India’s case before the judicial body.
According to the Pakistani authorities, Jadhav was arrested on March 3, 2016, through a counter-intelligence operation in Balochistan’s Mashkel area for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan.
He was sentenced to death by the FGCM in April this year.
India had termed the death sentence awarded to Jadhav “an act of premeditated murder,” while maintaining that Jadhav was a retired officer of the Indian Navy.
India has further claimed that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he was involved in a business undertaking.