ISLAMABAD: The Inter­national Court of Justice (ICJ) seized with an Indian complaint relating to the conviction of its spy Kulbhushan Jadhav has been formally communicated that Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf will act as agent of Pakistan in the case.

A communication issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed the ICJ registrar at Peace Palace, The Hague, that Mr Ausaf would be the agent for Pakistan in the case whereas Foreign Affairs Director General Dr Mohammad Faisal would continue to act as co-agent.

Attorney general’s office collating data on atrocities being committed in India-held Kashmir

The term “agent” is described as a top functionary of the government who leads a delegation to represent Pakistan and usually opens arguments or presents a framework followed by the legal team in the ICJ. This also means that all future exchanges or information between Pakistan and the ICJ will be made through the AG office.

Soon after a meeting between ICJ President Ronny Abraham and delegations of Pakistan and India on June 8 in the Netherlands, Mr Ausaf had informed the world court about Pakistan’s intention to appoint an ad hoc judge to the ICJ bench for all proceedings, including the substantive hearing in the Jadhav case.

The world court had on May 18 through an interim ruling stayed the execution of the Indian spy.

Commander Jadhav, who was captured in Balochistan in March last year, had confessed to his association with India’s spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and his involvement in espionage and fomenting terrorism in Pakistan. The Field General Court Martial sentenced him to death which was confirmed by Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on April 10 this year.

The military court of appeal has already rejected Jadhav’s appeal against the death penalty. He later filed a mercy petition with the army chief which is under consideration.

Meanwhile, the AG office is busy in documentation of the case and collection of instances of atrocities and human right violations being committed by India in held Kashmir.

The Foreign Office also informed the ICJ that the government had already instructed the relevant departments to give effect to the world court’s May 18 interim order of staying Jadhav’s execution, adding that the legal process remained available to the Indian spy.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2017