Babar Awan presents bill on Indian spy in National Assembly

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has tabled the International Court of Justice (Review and Reconsideration) Ordinance 2020, in the National Assembly for approval.

As per details, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan presented the bill in the assembly.

During the session, the ordinance had sparked a heated debate between the opposition and the ruling party, with the former calling it an NRO for the Indian agent and the latter saying that they were bound by the ICJ’s jurisdiction.

Earlier, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan had said that the government would present the bill in the National Assembly for approval.

Talking to media he informed that no option has the national interest or security been compromised by the promulgation of this ordinance, adding that the political uproar is not justified.

On July 22, the government had approached the Islamabad High Court to appoint a legal representative for the Indian spy.

The move was made in the light of the International Court of Justice’s July 17, 2019 decision, following which the International Court of Justice (Review and Reconsideration) Ordinance, 2020 was enacted to implement the court’s verdict.

The federation, through the defense secretary and the Judge Advocate General (JAG) branch of General Headquarters (GHQ), has been made a party in the petition filed by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

According to the petition, Jadhav refused to file a petition against his sentence. The Indian spy cannot appoint a lawyer in Pakistan without India’s assistance, while New Delhi is also reluctant to avail the facility under the ordinance, the petition said.

The government, in the petition, has asked the court to appoint a legal representative for Jadhav so that Pakistan can fulfill its responsibility to see to the implementation of the ICJ’s decision. On July 17, Pakistan had offered Jadhav consular access for a third time, after the second opportunity was not fully availed.

A day prior, Foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that India’s ill-intentions were revealed when Pakistan provided New Delhi’s diplomat’s uninterrupted consular access to the RAW spy for a second time at the country’s own request, but they left without meeting him in Islamabad, saying the environment was “unsuitable”.

On March 3, 2016, commander Jadhav — an Indian Navy officer working for Indian covert agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) — was apprehended from Balochistan after he entered Pakistan from Iran.

On 10th April 2017, Jadhav was tried in a military court, which sentenced him to death for espionage and subversive activities.

On May 18, 2017, the ICJ ordered Pakistan to halt the execution of Jadhav until a final decision was made in the proceedings. On July 17, the court rejected India’s appeal for Jadhav’s release and asked Pakistan to suspend the execution.