IHC decides to form a larger bench over Kulbhushan issue

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has decided to form a larger bench over the Kulbhushan Jadhav issue. Abid Manto, Hamid Khan and Makhdoom Ali have been appointed as court assistants. In the verdict, the court ruled that the government had paved the way for court review through the ordinance. Hearing the application of the Law secretary on Monday, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mian Gull Hassan Aurangzeb directed the government to once again offer India and Kulbhushan Jadhav to appoint a counsel. They remarked that the court will ensure the fair trial of the Kulbhushan Jadhav case. The court also ordered the government to contact the Indian government to give the consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav for the third time. Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan representing the Federation told court that Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested while entering Pakistan illegally on March 3, 2016. "Kulbhushan Jadhav confessed to his involvement in terrorist activities at the behest of RAW. In his confessional statement before the magistrate, he also confessed to spying," he stated. The attorney general said that India approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May 2017, accusing Pakistan of not giving the consular access and violating the Vienna Convention. He argued that Kulbhushan has been given the right to file the review petition against his conviction. "Kulbhushan Jadhav refused to accept the facility of a counsel. Now India is fleeing from the ICJ verdict," he added. Khalid Javed Khan said that the ordinance has been promulgated to give the right to appeal to Kulbhushan under instructions from the ICJ. The hearing was adjourned till September 3.