At ICJ, Pak seeks early hearing in Jadhav case

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to expedite hearing into the case of Indian national Kulbushan Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court over charges of espionage and subversive activities, reported a leading English daily on Tuesday. Ever since the ICJ ordered Pakistan on May 18 to halt Jadhav’s execution, Islamabad has been saying that it will ask the ICJ for early hearing and speedy proceedings of the case.Legal experts here believe that the ICJ’s proceedings in such cases take long.
“It takes two-three years in such cases,” said Reema Omer, a Pakistani expert on international law. According to local media, the foreign office wrote a letter to ICJ registrar requesting, early hearing of the case, preferably over the next few weeks. Citing unnamed sources, The Express Tribune said that the request was made in view of the upcoming elections for ICJ judges, scheduled to be held in November. A senior official was quoted as saying that the ICJ might resume hearing in October. “The government, however, wants the hearing to be held in the next six weeks,” the source told the paper.