Kulbhushan Jadhav is guilty, appreciate ICJ's decision not to acquit him, tweets Imran Khan

Despite massive embarrassment at the International Court of Justice in connection with the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, Pakistan remains adamant in its approach. It was evident form the tweet of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who said that Kulbhushan Jadhav was guilty of crimes against people of Pakistan. He also highlighted the ‘fact’ that the ICJ had not ‘acquitted’ Jadhav. “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,” Khan said on micro-blogging site. Khan’s tweet mirrors the statement made by Pakistan’s foreign ministry shortly after the verdict, which directed Pakistan to grant consular access to KJadhav. The verdict had also asked Islamabad to reconsider the death penalty.

 

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

The Foreign Office in a statement said Pakistan as a “responsible member” of the international community “upheld its commitment” from the very beginning of the case by appearing before the court for the provisional measures hearing despite a very short notice. “Having heard the judgment, Pakistan will now proceed as per law,” the statement said. The statement claimed that the Hague-based ICJ in its judgment did not accept India’s plea to “acquit/release” Jadhav. The Foreign Office reiterated that Jadhav entered Pakistan “without a visa on authentic Indian Passport with a fake alias Hussain Mubarak Patel”.

Jadhav, 49, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by the Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" after a closed trial in April 2017. His sentencing evoked a sharp reaction in India. Reading out the verdict, President of the Court Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf ordered an "effective review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence of Mr Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav". The verdict went India's way by a resounding 15 votes to one.