ISLAMABAD: Accusing the government of softening its stance on India, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to give a comprehensive briefing to parliament on the proceedings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case.
PTI information secretary and MNA Shafqat Mehmood said in a statement issued on Tuesday that decisions behind closed doors on sensitive issues relating to national security and foreign affairs were fatal and unacceptable.
“The prime minister should come clean before the nation and particularly parliament about the government’s policy regarding the matter without further delay,” Mr Mehmood said.
“It seems that the government has deliberately adopted a flawed and soft policy in the Jadhav case,” he alleged.
The PTI leader said Pakistan’s strategy in the case in the ICJ had raised numerous questions. “The ICJ has no jurisdiction to unilaterally take action against any country,” he said, adding that confidence of the contenders was the prerequisite for decisions by it on any matter. “Why the decision against a terrorist and spy is being made controversial?”
Mr Mehmood said the attorney general’s absence in the whole situation was also questionable and analysts were linking these developments to the recent “rendezvous” of the prime minister with Indian businessman and his friend Sajjan Jindal. He said that a perception was gaining ground that the prime minister’s business ties were creating ways to win relief for Jadhav.
The PTI leader said Jadhav had confessed to his crimes committed against Pakistan and its people and any bargain against the national interest would not be acceptable.
Jadhav was arrested on March 3 last year through a counter-intelligence operation in Balochistan’s Mashkel area for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan. He was sentenced to death by a military court last month.
India has taken the matter to the ICJ to get the execution stayed.
Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2017
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