Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday welcomed the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Kulbhushan Jadhav and said Pakistan will proceed as per law in the case.

“Appreciate ICJ’s decision not to acquit, release and return Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav to India,” the prime minister said in a tweet. “He is guilty of crimes against the people of Pakistan. Pakistan shall proceed further as per law,” he added.

The tweet comes a day after the ICJ dashed Indian hopes of seeking remedies through the international arbitration. The judgment, delivered by ICJ President Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, to a packed court at The Hague, however, allowed India consular access to the convicted spy.

The ICJ on Wednesday had rejected India’s request to ‘acquit, release and return’ Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian serving naval commander, sentenced by Pakistan on charges of espionage and terrorism. The United Nations’ top court in its final verdict after two-year-long proceedings had ruled an effective review and reconsideration of the sentence by Pakistan, but ‘by the means of its own choosing of legislation’. “The court notes that Pakistan acknowledges that the appropriate remedy in the present case would be effective review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence,” the ICJ verdict read, supporting Pakistan’s stance.

Following the verdict, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor had congratulated the nation on the success achieved and lauded the efforts made by the legal team and the Foreign Office which represented Pakistan. “This is another February 27 for India … they have got another surprise,” he had said, while talking to a private TV channel. “After this decision by the ICJ, India has become a certified state sponsor of terrorism,” he added.