Pakistan to present strong case against Jadhav: Qureshi

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that his country will present a strong case against alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at a hearing scheduled for later this month.

Addressing a reception in Manchester on Thursday, Qureshi said: "Pakistan has all the evidence against Jadhav of sabotage activities inside Pakistan. Jadhav has admitted to being involved in such activities."

"Pakistan's legal team will present its stance in the case at The Hague on the 19th of this month," he was quoted as saying by Geo News.

The ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the UN, will hold public hearings in the Jadhav case from February 18 to 21 at the Peace Palace in The Hague.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for espionage in April 2017 following which India moved the ICJ. A 10-member ICJ bench restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till the case was adjudicated on.

Pakistan had stated that "Jadhav was not an ordinary person as he had entered the country with the intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities" in Balochistan. India denies all the charges.

Jadhav was apprehended on March 3, 2016 after illegally crossing into Pakistan from Iran, according to Pakistani officials. Indian officials say he was abducted from Iran and taken to Pakistan against his will.

--IANS

soni/bg