A larger bench of Islamabad High Court (IHC) adjourned ministry’s petition on the request of the Law and Justice ministry for the appointment of a lawyer to contest the appeal of Indian’s spy Kuhbhushan Jadhav in light of the verdict of International Court of Justice (ICJ). The hearing was adjourned without proceeding due to the absence of the attorney general of Pakistan owing to infection by COVID-19. The court, however, summoned Indian High Commission’s counsel on April 8, to answer into the matter. Presently, a larger bench headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah and comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb is hearing the case of Indian spy and former Indian Naval Officer Commander Kulbhushan Yadhev. Indian Spy Kulbhushan Sudhir Yadhav was arrested by Pakistani Intelligence Agencies while illegally crossing Pak-Iran border near Sarawan, carrying a Indian passport with the fake name of Hossein Mubarak Patel on March 3, 2016. During investigation by Pakistani joint investigation team, Kulbhushan confessed that he is serving officer of Indian Navy and working for Indian Intelligence Agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) since back to 2003. RAW deputed Kulbhushan to handle its subversion and terrorist operations in Balochistan and Karachi by funding Balochistan separatist groups Balochistan Liberation Amry (BLA) and Balochistan Republican Army (BRA), being operated by Hyrbyair Murri and Brahamdagh Bugti respectively. Later, Kulbhushan Yadhav was trialed by a Military Court and awarded death sentenced to him. After arrest and death penalty of Kulbhushan Jadhav, Indian government came under immense public pressure for not defending its citizen and spy who had been caught red handed during his official mission for sake of country. India run to International Court of Justice (ICJ) to stall the death punishment of his spy, a face saving and politically motivated move of the Indian government. On 17 July 2019, the ICJ, rejected India’s appeal for Jadhav’s release and directed Pakistan to allow consular access and review the death sentence of Indian Spy. Pakistan fully honour the court’s decision and granted consular access to Yadav several time and currently, Yadhav case is under review by a larger bench of Islamabad High Court. India is in hot water because, it has clearly exposed at international level and Pakistan allegations for its involvement in Balochistan proved to be true. Presently, Indian government is intentionally delaying the process of Kulbhushan Yadhav’s trial by not cooperating with Pakistanis authority by fulfilling its international obligations under the decision of International Court of Justice.
India clearly knows that its cooperation will shorten the distance and its spy will embrace death sentence after completion of the court’s process, so it is delaying the process on one or another pretext. Government of Pakistan must not delay the review process and immediately bring it to its logical conclusion, otherwise India is actively working on a plan to manage a halt/ neutralization of death sentence to Kulbhushan Yadav. India is likely to exploit the situation by trapping a prominent Pakistani citizen to get exchange with its spy from Pakistan. Pakistan has fulfilled its all national and international obligations by a transparent conduct of the case under its judicial system. Now, Pakistan must no waste time in unnecessary appeasing to the world or India and proceed to finalize the case. The enemy spy must be served such justice, he really deserves for, so any invader must think hundred times before pushing its agents and mercenaries inside Pakistan’s territory.
