Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf, in his remarks over the interim order of International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, on Thursday said that the court had clearly underscored that the provisional measures were without prejudice to the ‘final determination’ of the merits and jurisdiction of the case.

He said that the ICJ’s decision had not changed the status of Jadhav’s case in any manner and Pakistan was determined to pursue this case to its logical end. “In interim order, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has stated that by way of provisional measures, the status quo be maintained in the case of Jadhav,” top law officer of the country stated. Ausaf said that the provisional measures were a procedural process only to enable the court to have full consideration at a later hearing. “These measures have no bearing whatsoever on the final decision of the court,” he added.

The AGP had remained the centre of attention for devising the arguments for legal team of Pakistan which defended the case in ICJ against proceedings instituted by the Indian government. “In addition, Pakistan attended because of its conviction that the only way to resolve all outstanding issues is through peaceful means. We are confident that India would not be able to hide the subversive activities it is trying to carry out through its agents like Jadhav. India has no substance in the case,” he emphasized.

Ausaf maintained that Pakistan attended the hearing out of its utmost respect for the court and pursuant to the established jurisprudence that the challenge to jurisdiction could be made via appearance and not by abstaining from the process. “In our submissions on 15 May, we had assured the court unambiguously that Jadhav would be provided every opportunity and remedy available under the law to defend his case,” he said.