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MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Thursday, 18 July briefed the media over the verdict of the International Court of Justice in the Kulbushan Jadhav case.
“Frankly,it seems to me they're reading from a different verdict. Main verdict is in 42 pages, if there is no patience to go through 42 pages, they should go through 7-pages press release, where every point is in India's favour,” he said.
Describing the detention of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan as “illegal” and under "fabricated" charges, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday, 18 July, urged Islamabad to release and repatriate him immediately.
The ICJ on Wednesday granted India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav and directed Pakistan military court to suspend and review the death sentence accorded to him.
The verdict in the high-profile case comes nearly five months after a 15-member bench of ICJ led by Judge Yusuf had reserved its decision on 21 February after hearing oral submissions by India and Pakistan. The proceedings of the case took two years and two months to complete.
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During the hearing at ICJ in February this year, both India and Pakistan submitted their detailed pleas and responses.
India based its case on two broad issues – breach of Vienna Convention on Consular Access and the process of resolution. Jadhav is being represented by senior lawyer Harish Salve.
Pakistan's counsel Khawar Qureshi, meanwhile, said, "India's claim for relief must be dismissed or declared inadmissible." Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav after he reportedly entered from Iran.
India moved the ICJ on 8 May 2017 for the "egregious violation" of the provisions of the Vienna Convention by Pakistan, by repeatedly denying New Delhi Consular Access to Jadhav.
Following this, Pakistan, on 18 May 2017, had restrained from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case.
Pakistani team headed by the Attorney General has reached The Hague, in Netherlands to hear the verdict. The team also includes Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal, according to Pakistan media.
Team from Indian Embassy arrived at International Court of Justice ahead of the Kulbhushan Jadhav verdict.
ICJ grants consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, says his death sentence should stay suspended, according to reports.
Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was prompt to welcome the verdict and took to Twitter to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking Jadhav’s case before the ICJ.
While reading out the verdict, the International Court of Justice said it finds that Pakistan deprived India of the right to communicate with and have access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, to visit him in detention and to arrange for his legal representation, and thereby breached obligations incumbent upon it under Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram welcomed the verdict and tweeted, “ICJ delivers ‘justice’ in the true sense of that word, upholding human rights, due procedure and the rule of law.”
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the ICJ’s verdict on the Kulbhushan Jadhav case is “no doubt a big victory for India”.
Reacting to the ICJ verdict, Kulbhushan Jadhav’s uncle, retired ACP Subhash Jadhav told The Indian Express, "While we are happy with the efforts put in by the Indian government, we want to see Kulbhushan come out alive from Pakistan. Till the time that does not happen, the fear will remain."
The International Court, however, rejected India's request for Kulbhushan Jadhav's release and safe passage to country.
The court rejected all the objections of Pakistan, including one unanimously on the admissibility of the case and also the claims by Islamabad that India had not provided the actual nationality of Jadhav.
The ICJ, in its detailed judgement read out by its President said it was satisfied that Jadhav was an Indian national.
It observed that even Pakistan, along with India, had acknowledged the fact that Jadhav was an Indian national.
Welcoming the judgment by the ICJ, the Congress tweeted from its official handle, “We welcome the ruling by the International Court of Justice in the #KulbhushanJhadhav case. This is a big win for India & we will continue to pray for his early return.”
Reacting to the verdict, MEA said, “This judgment validates India's position on the case. We'll continue to work vigorously for Jadhav's early release and return to India.”
Reacting to the ICJ’s verdict on Kulbhushan Jadhav, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted saying, “Truth and justice have prevailed. Congratulations to the ICJ for a verdict based on extensive study of facts. I am sure Kulbhushan Jadhav will get justice.”
Pakistan said it will now proceed "as per law" in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case after the International Court of Justice ruled that it must review the death sentence for the Indian national who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism".
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.
EAM S Jaishankar tweeted saying that he has spoken to Kulbhushan Jadhav’s family and that he applauds their courage.
India's advocate in Kulbhushan Jadhav case, Harish Salve, said, “The Court has held that Pakistan is guilty of internationally lawful act of a continuing character and it must cease those acts.”
Salve said he was "very happy" with the ICJ's verdict which would prevent Jadhav’s execution and ensure justice for the Indian national.
"I am gratified as a lawyer. I feel a sense of relief with the verdict... The court said there is no question of execution... so, I am very happy," he said.
The 15-1 judgment of the ICJ in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case may have political and diplomatic ramifications for Pakistan as the Chinese jurist and Vice President of the world court backed the majority judgement, signalling a setback for Islamabad in the high-profile verdict.
While there was no immediate official reaction in Beijing about the judgment by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Judge Xue Hanqin's backing of the majority verdict, notwithstanding the all-weather China-Pakistan ties, is being seen in China as a diplomatic victory for India.
Senior advocate Harish Salve charged Re 1 as his fee to represent India during the public hearing in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague. Pakistan, on the other hand, spent more than Rs 20 crore on lawyers to prove that Jadhav was a spy.
Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had on May 15, 2017 revealed in a tweet that Salve was charging merely Re 1 to represent India in the Hague. According to reports, Salve's charges Rs 30 lakh a day otherwise.
Calling it “a victory for Pakistan”, its Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi tweeted, “Commander Jadhav shall remain in Pakistan. He shall be treated in accordance with the laws of Pakistan.”
“Kulbhushan Jadhav is innocent of the charges levelled against him. We once again call on Pakistan to release and repatriate him to India. His family has shown exemplary courage even in challenging times like this,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Rajya Sabha as he hailed the landmark verdict by the ICJ.
I am sure that the House will join me in welcoming this landmark judgement, he added.
MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Thursday, 18 July briefed the media over the verdict of the International Court of Justice in the Kulbushan Jadhav case.
“Frankly,it seems to me they're reading from a different verdict. Main verdict is in 42 pages, if there is no patience to go through 42 pages, they should go through 7-pages Press Release, where every point is in India's favour” he said.
“I think they have their own compulsions, as to why they have to lie to their own people,” he added.
Following ICJ's verdict, Islamabad has said that it will grant consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav.
"As a responsible state, Pakistan will grant consular access to Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav according to Pakistani laws, for which modalities are being worked out," Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan said in an official statement on Thursday, 18 July.