Kulbhushan case: IHC summons Indian HC counsel to submit reply

ISLAMABAD: On the request of Law and Justice ministry for appointment of a lawyer to contest the appeal of India’s spy Kulbhushan Jadhav in the light of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict, a larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday adjourned ministry’s petition till April 8.

The hearing was adjourned without proceedings due to the absence of attorney general for Pakistan owing to his being infected by COVID-19. The court, however, summoned Indian High Commission’s counsel on April 8, to provide replies into the matter.

A larger bench, headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah, and comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, heard the case. Additional Attorney General Tariq Khokhar and Deputy Attorney General Tayyab Shah appeared before the bench and apprised it that AGP Khalid Javed couldn’t attend the proceedings due to his being infected by COVID-19. AAG informed the court that five Indian prisoners had been released and repatriated to their country.

He said that Indian High Commission’s lawyer Shahnawaz Noon had submitted that his client country was considering whether to pursue the Jadhav appeal or not, but he had not yet received reply. The court summoned Indian High Commission’s lawyer on April 8, and adjourned hearing of the case.