Pakistan AG says will present evidence on Kulbhushan Jadhav before ICJ

Pakistan's Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf has said that Islamabad will be presenting all evidence before the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Kulbhushan Jadhav case.

Pakistan has declared Jadhav to be an Indian agent and spy, and a military court has sentenced him to death.

"We have important information against him," Attorney General Ausaf told a private news channel over the weekend.

He said Pakistan's stance on the issue has not been rejected by the ICJ, and the court's verdict of May 18 should only be seen as an interim one and not as a defeat or a victory for any country.

Replying to a question, Attorney General Ausaf said Pakistan saw itself as a responsible country that would not violate international laws, but also would never compromise on matters of national security or integrity.

Attorney General Ausaf said he would take guidelines from the National Security Committee (NSC) on the Kulbhushan Jadhav matter.

He said Pakistan was satisfied over the matter of arresting and punishing the former Indian naval officer.

He justified the decision of handing down the death sentence to Jadhav.

Last week, Pakistan requested the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to expedite the hearing of the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, whose execution was stayed by the court on May 18.

The Express Tribune had reported that the Foreign Office had sent a letter to the ICJ's registrar, expressing Pakistan's desire for a quick hearing, preferably over the next few weeks.

The request was made in view of the upcoming elections for ICJ judges, scheduled to be held in November. It is believed that the ICJ might resume the hearing of the case in October, the daily quoted sources, as saying.

The federal government has not taken any decision as yet about replacing originally selected counsel Khawar Quraishi, saying that his performance was satisfactory and that he had raised all (relevant) legal points during the hearing on May 18.

Jadhav has been sentenced to death by a Pakistan military court for spying for India. Pakistan has also denied consular access to him on 16 different occasions, a point highlighted by the Indian team during the hearing before the ICJ bench.

-ANI