Efforts to save Jadhav from Pak's hands will be successful: Centre

The Centre on Tuesday expressed confidence about getting 'postive response' from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav case while saying that Pakistan will soon be exposed.

"We are confident that ICJ will take decision in favour of India and Jadhva will get justice. We will expose Pakistan after getting the counselor access. Pakistan has awarded death sentence to Jadhav without any evidence of him being involved in terror activities," Union Minister P.P. Choudhary told ANI.

Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader S. Prakash also echoed the same and said effort to save Jadhav from the hands and clutches of Pakistan will be successful.

"The Centre's effort to obtain a stay in the death sentence of Kulbhushan has successfully been achieved. Now the onus is on the Pakistan to put forth before the International Court as to how they apprehended him and what are the evidences they have against Jadhav to claim that he is a terrorist. Mere submission of plea that he was a terrorist and involved in terror activities will not be enough. We are confident our plea will get a positive response," he told ANI.

Pakistan yesterday, while presenting its case at the ICJ on Kulbhushan Jadhav issue, claimed that "India has used this court as the scene of political theatre."

"India has used this court as the scene of political theatre. We will not respond in kind," Mohammad Faisal, DG south Asia and SAARC, said.

"India has been unable to provide an explanation for Jadhav's passport which bears a Muslim name," Faisal added.

He also claimed that India's application on Kulbhushan Jadhav is unnecessary and misconceived.

There has been deafening silence and no response from India on Pakistan's accusations on Jadhav, Pakistan's lawyer Khawar Qureshi said.

Qureshi also said that Jadhav has 150 days to appeal his sentence.

Meanwhile, the ICJ declined to play the alleged confessional video of Jadhav when Pakistan's offered it as evidence during the afternoon session of the court.

Fearing that Jadhav might be executed before the hearing was over, India accused Pakistan of violating the Vienna convention and conducting a "farcical trial" without a "shred of evidence".

Pakistan had denied India its 16 requests for consular access, India's lead attorney Harish Salve said.

The urgent hearing comes after the ICJ last week stayed Jadhav's execution.

While India presented its argument over 90 minutes, Pakistan, which claims that Jadhav is an agent of India's external intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), took less than an hour.

India wants the ICJ to annul Jadhav's death sentence and for Pakistan to ensure that no action is taken that may prejudice the rights of India or of Jadhav.

Jadhav, the latest flashpoint in the tensions between Pakistan and India, was sentenced to death last month.

On May 8, India moved the ICJ against the death penalty, alleging violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

On May 9, the highest court in the UN gave Jadhav a lease of life.

India, in its appeal to the ICJ, had asserted that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he was involved in business activities after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Pakistan claims to have arrested Jadhav from its restive Balochistan province.