Jadhav not given ‘NRO’, insists Farogh in NA

ISLAMABAD: Newly sworn-in law minister Farogh Naseem has denied that the government gave Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav concessions and sought to distance the ICJ ordinance from the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) that was promulgated by former president Pervez Musharraf.

“The ordinance was issued in view of the ICJ verdict,” Naseem said in the National Assembly on Friday. “This ordinance is not an NRO. The NRO was issued by Musharraf,” he added.

He was responding to opposition claims that the government was trying to give NRO-like concessions to the convicted spy.

The law minister said on Friday in the past few days an ordinance was brought regarding the RAW agent. “If the ordinance was not brought, India would have gone to the UN Security Council. Pakistan has cut India’s hand by introducing the ordinance,” said Naseem, adding that New Delhi would have sought sanctions against Islamabad if it did not issue the ordinance.

“Where is it written in the ordinance that the conviction has ended?” asked the minister, adding that neither had the sentence been reduced nor had the Indian spy been given any concession.

The minister also told the Assembly that nowhere was it written that the government needed to speak to the opposition before introducing an ordinance.