Daily Times

The controversial interview of deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, given to Dawn newspaper in May 2018, was craftily used by the Indian judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) during the hearing of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case, a private TV channel reported on Thursday.

India, while presenting its arguments in the case, cleverly employed the controversial remarks of the three-time prime minister regarding Mumbai attacks published in the newspaper as a ‘proof’ against Pakistan.

Senior advocate Harish Salve presented his arguments before a 15-member bench headed by President Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf. In his arguments, he alleged that Pakistan is used a safe haven by the UN-proscribed terrorist entities and individuals like Dawood Ibrahim. He referred to an interview given by Nawaz Sharif to Dawn and said, “Prominent Pakistani newspaper Dawn carried (Nawaz) Sharif’s interview in which he acknowledged Pakistan’s role in 26/11? This interview has not been denied.”

Last year in May, Nawaz Sharif in an exclusive interview with Dawn had said that ‘militant organizations, or non-state actors, were active in Pakistan’. “Should the country allow these non-state actors to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai. Why can’t we complete the trial?” he had remarked. “We have isolated ourselves. Despite giving sacrifices, our narrative is not being accepted. Afghanistan’s narrative is being accepted, but ours is not. We must look into it,” he had said.

Pakistan has made a strong statement in the case based on solid evidence of espionage against the Indian spy in the International Court of Justice. English Queen’s Counsel Barrister Khawar Qureshi representing Pakistan has raised nine points in light of evidence pertaining to espionage, Jadhav’s confessional statement, his 17 times travel on fake Indian passport and unlawful claim of consular access under Vienna Convention.

The case proceedings are being shown live from the courtroom and shared by the ICJ’s website for real-time update of the viewers worldwide, including in Pakistan and India.

Published in Daily Times, February 22^nd 2019.