THE HAGUE: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will give its much-awaited verdict on July 17 (today) in relation to the Indian Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav.
Jadhav currently in the custody of Pakistan’s security forces is accused of espionage in Balochistan and terrorism – both the charges are punishable by death under the law of the land.
To attend the hearing, Pakistani delegation under Attorney General Pakistan Anwar Mansoor reached Holland a day earlier. The delegation also includes Foreign Office Spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal.
A 15-member full bench of the ICJ will read the verdict in the case. The bench includes one ad-hoc Pakistani judge and a permanent Indian judge.
Who is Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav?
Commander Jadhav — an Indian Navy officer working for Indian covert agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) — was arrested on March 3, 2016, from Balochistan after he entered into Pakistan from Iran.
Jadhav was tried in a military court which sentenced him to death for espionage and subversive activities.
In a reaction to the move, Pakistan’s relations with neighboring India tensed, and New Delhi approached the ICJ to hear the case.
On May 18, 2017, the ICJ ordered Pakistan to halt the execution of Jadhav until a final decision was made in the proceedings.
