ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday fixed a case of Ministry of Law and Justice for hearing on August 3, seeking to appoint a lawyer for Indian spy Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav.
A division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb would conduct hearing on the petition.
The federation, through the defense secretary and the judge advocate general branch of general headquarters, has been made a party in the petition filed by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
The petition said Jadhav had refused to file a petition against his sentence. The Indian spy could not appoint a lawyer in Pakistan without India’s assistance, while New Delhi was also reluctant to avail the facility under the ordinance.
The government, in the petition, had asked the court to appoint a legal representative for Jadhav so that Pakistan could fulfill its responsibility. On July 17, Pakistan had offered Jadhav consular access for a third time, after the second opportunity was not fully availed.
The move was made in the light of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s July 17, 2019 decision, following which the ICJ (Review and Reconsideration) Ordinance, 2020 was enacted to implement the court’s verdict.
Commander Jadhav, Indian Navy officer working for Indian covert agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), was arrested on March 3, 2016, from Balochistan. He also made important revelations about RAW’s role in sponsoring state terrorism in Pakistan. Jadhav was announced sentenced to death on April 10, 2017.
