ISLAMABAD: The Islam­abad High Court on Tuesday gave another opportunity to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to engage a lawyer to file a review against his death sentence ordered by a military court.

An IHC larger bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Amer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb took up a petition filed by the law ministry seeking a lawyer for the Indian spy.

Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan and amicus curiae Advocate Hamid Khan also appeared before the court.

The attorney general placed before the court correspondence between Pakistan and India for providing counsel to Jadhav in order to comply with the verdict of the International Court of Justice.

He said the Indian government did not respond, and argued that the federal government had filed the petition seeking appointment of a lawyer so that the verdict of the military court could be revisited at an appropriate forum.

According to the attorney general, such prisoners should be dealt with in accordance with the Vienna Convention.

The attorney general said that Pakis­tan could only comply with international obligations if Kulbhushan Jadhav authorised a lawyer to file a review against his conviction.

The court, however, asked the attorney general to seek response from the Indian government and adjourned the hearing till next month.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2021