Leverage IWT to counter Pak: Former diplomat on Aziz's assertion

After Pakistan indicated that it was not bound by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order on the Kulbhusan Jadhav case, former diplomat N.N. Jha on Sunday said India could adopt various measures to counter Islamabad's assertion, including defying the Indus Water Treaty.

"The ICJ has indicated in its statement that the 1960 Vienna treaty is applicable to Pakistan, and the jurisdiction is there. The judge mentioned that and in that same order, he has talked about consular access," Jha told ANI.

"If they refuse to give consular access, India is also not bound by the Vienna convention, for example India can also start using the Indus river, where presently only 20 percent is being used by us," he added.

He further said that India can also give refuge to Baloch people, who are facing atrocities at the hands of the Pakistan Government.

"We can reduce our diplomatic relations, and reduce people to people contacts. We can also take benefit of the growing discontent in the Gilgit Baltistan and Balcohistan to our favour. We can give them refuge here," Jha said.

When asked to respond on Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz remarks that they would go ahead with the domestic law, Jha said, "Sartaj Aziz and Nawaz Sharif know that Pakistan is angry with the order, hence they are issuing these statements to please their people."

During a press conference, Aziz said that Jadhav's punishment will be in accordance with domestic laws.

He argued that Indian rant of victory following the ICJ's stay at the execution of Jadhav was false because the final verdict is yet to come, reports Dunya News.

"The ICJ gave no verdict regarding consular access", he added.

Aziz said that India had made a mistake by going to the ICJ as it paved the way for Pakistan to raise the matter of humanitarian violations in Kashmir.