Kulbhushan Jadhav death row: Pakistan questions jurisdiction of International Court of Justice, refuses to follow orders

Pakistan on Friday refused to stay the execution of former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav as directed by International Court of Justice in response to an Indian plea. The neighbouring county has decided to question the jurisdiction of the international court in this matter. 

Jadhav, who is an Indian national, has been accused of spying and sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court. 

On Tuesday, the court had asked Pakistan to put Jadhav's death sentence on hold. It said it would hear the case on Monday. Senior advocate Harish Salve, who represents India at the International Court, has said its judgment will be binding on Pakistan.

India and Pakistan signed up for the "Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations concerning the Compulsory Settlement of Disputes, 1963," which says such disputes are within the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court.

But Pakistani officials are counting on the instance in June 2000, when the International court had agreed with India that it had no jurisdiction to hear a case filed by Pakistan, accusing India of shooting down an unarmed aircraft of the Pakistani navy the year before. India had argued that it was an internal matter, which was accepted by the court.  

Read | Pak PM Nawaz Sharif discusses Kulbhushan Jadhav's case with Army chief Bajwa