IHC orders Govt to again contact India in Jadhav's review petition

ISLAMABAD: A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the federal government to once again contact the Indian government in a case pertaining to the provision of lawyer to spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to ensure implementation of the decision of International Court of Justice.

A larger bench headed by Chief Justice Atharmanullah and comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb conducted hearing on a petition filed by Ministry of Law and Justice for appointment of a lawyer to contest the review decision case of Indian spy Jadhav.

Deputy Attorney General Syed Tayyab Shah appeared before the court and submitted that the attorney general couldn’t attend the proceeding due to engagements in top court.

On a query regarding the release of another Indian citizen after completing his sentence term, the deputy attorney general said that in both the cases only the Attorney General could respond. The Chief Justice said that Indian citizen should be released once his sentence is completed.

On this occasion the Deputy Attorney General said that the prisoner Muhammad Ismail would also be released on January 22.

Justice Amir Farooq said that the report was submitted about prisoner Muhammad Ismail while we have asked about another prisoner Jaspal.

The DAG said that this was the title of the case. There were 5 prisoners out of which four had been released including Jaspal and now only Mohammad Ismail son of Ali Mohammad was left who will be released on January 22.

Justice Minallah said that why they were giving date to release the prisoner.

Make him free if he had already completed his prison term, he added.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah questioned that whether the Indian government was not interested in the second case, to which he told the Deputy Attorney General said that he had no instructions in Jadhav matter, adding that the Attorney General would look into the matter.

The court asked the federation to once again contact the Indian government and asked it whether it wanted to pursue the case or not, the court adjourned the case till February 3.