New Delhi (NVI): India today slammed Pakistan for linking Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case with another prisoner’s case while stressing that Islamabad was yet to address the core issues such as making available relevant documents and providing unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional consular access to retired Indian naval officer.
On Tuesday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) was hearing one of the cases related to the writ petition filed by the Indian High Commission for the repatriation of other Indian prisoners who have completed their sentence in Pakistan’s prisons.
It was not related to Kulbhushan Jadhav but the counsel of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, Shahnawaz Noon, raised the matter pertaining to Jadhav.
In a press conference today, the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesman Anurag Srivastava said: “Pakistan is trying to link the case of Kulbhuashan Jadhav with another prisoner’s case. In a routine consular practice, Mr. Shahnawaz Noon was selected by our High Commission to appear in the case for release and repatriation of an Indian prisoner, Mr. Mohammad Ismail, who has completed his sentence but continues to be in jail in Pakistan.”
Srivastava said that during the proceedings of the case regarding Ismail, Pakistan Attorney General (Noon) raised the matter pertaining to Jadhav though the two cases are not connected in any way.
The MEA spokesman said that the counsel of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad is reported to have made those statements that are not true and are in contravention of India’s stand in the case. “He appears to have acted under pressure from the Pakistani establishment to make such statements for which he has no authorisation,” he said.
“Mr. Noon has misrepresented the position of the High Commission. He was clearly told by the High Commission that he had no authority to represent either the Government of India or Kulbhushan Jadhav,” he added.
Srivastava further said that Pakistan has failed to respond on the core issues concerning the case including provision of all documents and an unimpeded unhindered and unconditional consular access of Jadhav which would form the basis of an effective review and reconsideration as ordered by the International Court of Justice.
The MEA also rubbished the claim made by Shahnawaz Noon that India’s Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia was ready to appear before the Islamabad High Court in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case.
“Our Mission in Islamabad has written to Mr. Noon reiterating that he has no authority to represent Mr. Jadhav and has no basis to suggest that the Indian Cd’A would appear in the court,” he said.
Noon had reportedly told the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday that Ahluwalia would explain the country’s stance over the appointment of a lawyer for Jadhav.
Srivastava, during the press briefing today, clarified that Noon had not been authorized to appear for the retired Indian naval officer.
Pakistan is trying to get the Indian mission to attend hearings and participate in court proceedings, through such tricks.
In August, the MEA had made it clear that India wants Kulbhushan Jadhav to be represented by an Indian lawyer for filing a review petition against his death sentence in Pakistan, in keeping with the letter and spirit of ICJ judgment that wants a free and fair trial of the former Indian Navy officer.
Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of “espionage and terrorism” in April 2017. India has rejected the charges and maintained that he was abducted from Iran where he had gone in connection with his business and false case has been foisted on him.
Just weeks after the sentence, India had approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Pakistan for denial of consular access to Jadhav and challenging the death sentence.
-ARK
