The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has scheduled public hearings in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav, self-confessed Indian spy caught by Pakistani authorities, in February 2019. In an announcement on Wednesday, the ICJ said that the hearings will take place from February 18 to 21st at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court.
In July this year, Pakistan had submitted in the ICJ its second counter-memorial to India’s arguments on the conviction of the spy associated with Indian Army’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). A month later, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Pakistan has concrete proof against Jadhav.
Commander Jadhav was captured in Balochistan in March 2016. Later, a video was released by the armed forces showing the suspect confessing to his association with the Indian intelligence agency and his involvement in espionage and fomenting terrorism in Pakistan.
In early 2017, the Field General Court Martial sentenced Jadhav to death, which was confirmed by Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa on April 10 this year. On January 23, the ICJ gave a timeline to both Pakistan and India to file another round of memorials in the case.
Published in Daily Times, October 4th 2018.
