Kulbushan Jadhav case: ICJ rejects five pleas by Pakistan

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has rejected five pleas made by Pakistan during the hearing of the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, including playing of so-called "confessional statement" of the Indian national and a request to adjourn the hearing citing illness of its ad-hoc judge.

The four-day hearing in the Jadhav case started on February 18 at the ICJ headquarters in The Hague.

Pakistan's delegation on February 19 led by Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan requested the international court to adjourn the hearing in the case to appoint a new ad-hoc judge as Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani suffered cardiac arrest before the hearing.

However, the ICJ President Abdullahi Ahmed Yusuf while rejecting the plea asked Pakistan's delegation to go ahead with proceeding if it is ready with its argument.

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Anwar Mansoor Khan then went on to make his argument, a day after the Indian side told the world court that Jadhav had been sentenced to death by a military court during an "opaque" hearing and that he should be released forthwith. In his representation, the Pakistani advocate said the Indian claim to relief must be dismissed.

In addition, Pakistan also had sought cross-examination of Deputy High Commission of India JP Singh.

JP Singh who accompanied the family of Jadhav in Pakistan to meet him in jail last year said that the condition of Jadhav did not look well.

During the proceeding, Pakistan, making a long shot, also wanted the "accomplices" of Jadhav for witnesses during the hearing. However, the court also rejected that.

The 48-year-old former naval officer, Kulbhushan Jadhav, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism on April 11, 2017, following which India moved the ICJ, challenging the verdict. Subsequently, on May 18, 2017, a 10-member bench of the ICJ restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till the adjudication of the case.

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