Islamabad: The Pakistan government has come under attack from the opposition for “mishandling” the case of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, whose execution has been halted by the ICJ.
Two opposition leaders also linked the weak defence put up by Pakistan at the ICJ on Thursday to the meeting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had with Indian business tycoon Sajjan Jindal, said to be a friend of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The International Court of Justice on Thursday blocked the execution of Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of spying and subversion.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader Shafqat Mehmood asked Sharif to disclose details of his “secret meetings” with Jindal, the Dawn reported. He said the ICJ decision was an outcome of the Sharif-Jindal talks.
Mehmood attacked the government for selecting a lawyer at the ICJ “who had not a single international law case reported from the UK Supreme Court”.
Another PTI leader, Shirin Mazari, accused the Pakistan government of deliberately playing a game to advance Indian interests.
“They wanted the ICJ to give a stay. This was a game which started after Jindal’s visit to Pakistan,” she said.
Pakistan Peoples Party Vice President Sherry Rehman said Islamabad failed to plead its case at The Hague and the Pakistani counsel ended his arguments in 50 minutes against the allocated time of 90 minutes.
Another opposition leader, Kamil Ali Agha, described the ICJ decision as the “biggest diplomatic defeat” for Pakistan.
Minister of State for Information Marriyam Aurangzeb, however, said the case was fought in the best possible manner and advised the opposition not to play politics over issues of national security.
Jadhav was reportedly arrested from Pakistan’s Balochistan province on March 3, 2016.
Pakistan alleged the former Indian Navy officer was involved in spying and terror activities in Balochistan. He was convicted in April by a Pakistani military court and sentenced to death.
–IANS