Kulbhushan Jadhav Case: Huge blow to Pakistan, ICJ rejects adjournment motion

In a major setback to Pakistan, the International Court of Justice on Tuesday rejected its demand to adjourn the hearing in Kulbhushan Jadhav case. This means that Islamabad’s tactics to delay the proceedings has been shot down. Now, Paksitan must respond to India’s stance in the high-profile case. Now, Pakistan's Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan is submitting his arguments in Kulbhushan Jadhav's case.

On Monday, India had urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to annul Jadhav's death sentence by a Pakistani military court and order his immediate release, saying the verdict based on a "farcical case" hopelessly fails to satisfy even the minimum standards of due process. Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by the military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" after a closed trial in April 2017. His sentencing evoked a sharp reaction in India.

India moved the ICJ in May the same year for the "egregious violation" of the provisions of the Vienna Convention by Pakistan by repeatedly denying New Delhi consular access to the 48-year-old Indian national. "Military courts of Pakistan cannot command the confidence of this court and should not be sanctify by a direction to them to review and re-consider the case. India seeks annulment of Jadhav's conviction, and directions that he be released forthwith," said Harish Salve, the lawyer representing India and Jadhav in the case at the ICJ.

The four-day trial opened Monday at the ICJ headquarters here amidst heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following one of the worst terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group that killed at least 41 CRPF soldiers.