Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday hailed the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) decision "not to acquit, release and return" Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav to India.
In a tweet, the prime minister said Kulbhushan is guilty of crimes against the people of Pakistan. He said Pakistan shall proceed further as per the law.
Appreciate ICJ’s decision not to acquit, release & return Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav to India. He is guilty of crimes against the people of Pakistan. Pakistan shall proceed further as per law.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 18, 2019
On Wednesday, the ICJ ejected India’s petition challenging the death sentence of its spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.
Indian Navy Commander Jadhav is accused of espionage in Balochistan and terrorism. Both the charges are punishable by death under Pakistan’s the law.
The ICJ also rejected New Delhi’s plea to acquit and release self-confessed Indian spy, ruling that Jadhav be allowed consular access and asking Pakistan to ensure “effective review and reconsideration of his conviction and sentences”.
Following the verdict, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi called the ICJ's verdict on Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, ‘a victory for Pakistan’.
Meanwhile, speaking to a private TV channel, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor congratulated the nation on the success and hailed the efforts made by the legal team and the Foreign Office which represented Pakistan.
"For the verdict to be upheld by an international court where there is no concept of capital punishment is a big victory for Pakistan. "And for them to say that the review and reconsideration can be done by means of our own choosing is great validation for our judicial system," he said.
Major General General Ghafoor said India had raised five points in the ICJ and almost all of them were overturned by the International Court of Justice in its verdict.
Jadhav, a serving commander of the Indian Navy associated with Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), was arrested on March 3, 2016, from Balochistan on allegations of espionage and terrorism. In his trial at a military court, the Indian spy had confessed to his involvement in terrorist plots.
On April 10, 2017, Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa had endorsed the death penalty for Jadhav. In June 2017, the Indian spy had filed a mercy petition against the death penalty, in which he again confessed to his involvement in terrorist activities.
On May 18, 2017, the ICJ ordered Pakistan to halt the execution of Jadhav until a final decision was made in the proceedings.
