Post Sartaj Aziz's assertion, defence experts fear Jadhav might be dead

After Advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Saturday reiterated Pakistan's stand that Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav cannot be acquitted by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and his punishment will be in accordance with domestic laws, defence experts in India claimed that it might be possible that Kulbhushan is dead or not in a 'presentable' state.

"It's a very unfortunate statement from a very mature politician. It gives rise to a couple of fears. Kulbhushan has already bumped off or he has been reduced to a very vegetative state and is not presentable. Secondly, it also indicates confusion and chaos in Pakistani thinking. The ICJ's verdict was a huge diplomatic, political, legal and international setback for Pakistan and if they now don't abide by it, it will be a bigger setback at both the regional and the International level and as far as the relationship between the two countries is concerned," defence expert P.K. Sehgal told ANI.

Another defence expert Raj Kadyan asserted that Pakistan might be confident that the China would bail them out by applying the Veto.

"There are two issues in this. One of course, Pakistan must be very confident that if they do not accept the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the only channel through which the court can have it enforced is through the Security Council. Pakistan must be confident that China will bail them out by applying the Veto," Kadyan told ANI.

"The second aspect is more worrisome. When you look at the whole development, whenever this issue has come to light why has Pakistan always been reluctant to give the consular access? Pakistan also knew that the denial of the consular access will get them exposed in front of the International community. I hope Kulbhushan is alive and my fear proves wrong," Kadyan added.

Earlier in the day, Sartaj Aziz argued that Indian rant of victory following the ICJ's stay at the execution of Jadhav was false because the final verdict was yet to come.

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

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

While answering to the question as to why Pakistan moved the ICJ on the Kulbhushan Jadhav matter, he said Pakistan was a member state of the United Nations and the decision was taken after consultation.