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Will Pakistan execute Jadhav before the final verdict?
Global Village Space |
M. K. Bhadrakumar |
The initial reports from Pakistan regarding the International Court of Justice’s interim order on the Kulbhushan Jadhav case give a sinking feeling. If chances of Pakistan carrying out the death sentence were evenly poised, the balance now tilts in favor of execution. It’s now, say, 75% to 25%. Consider the following.
There has been a heavy criticism of the Pakistani government’s handling of the case at the ICJ by the opposition parties. The accusations range from inept handling to outright criticism that Pakistan should have altogether dissociated from the proceedings and refused to accept the ICJ’s jurisdiction to the highly combustive allegations that there might have been some ‘match-fixing’ between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PM Modi. The recent visit by the Indian steel magnate Sajjad Jindal has been linked to that preposterous conspiracy theory.
Pakistani government put on a back foot
“Pakistan’s security is so important and we have to maintain our fundamental sovereign right.”
– Sartaj Aziz
Without a doubt, Sharif’s government has been put on the back foot. It is now coming under compulsion to take a hard line. The Attorney General’s Office has vowed to take the case to its “logical conclusion”. Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said Pakistan will vigorously fight this case without compromising on its national security. Advisor to Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said, “Pakistan’s security is so important and we have to maintain our fundamental sovereign right.”
Read more: Hague battle: Pakistan still very much in the game
There has been no statement from the Army so far. Evidently, the Army will keep a close tab on the groundswell of public opinion, which seems to favor the execution of Jadhav. The last date for Jadhav to appeal is May 19. But the timeline can be extended. Any such extension will give a clue on the way the wind is blowing in the GHQ in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan has already informed the ICJ that Jadhav will not be executed before August 10. It is safe to conclude that Pakistan will abide by the interim order by the ICJ. What lies beyond that certainty is a ‘known unknown’.
Having come this far, the probability is that Pakistan will present its case more forcefully at the next ICJ hearing. Surprisingly, its performance at the ICJ hearing last week was far below par – conveying even an impression that an interim order was a near-certainty and, therefore, why bother. It may have decided to keep the powder dry for the forthcoming hearing.
Will Pakistan wait for the final verdict?
From the various remarks in reaction to the ICJ’s ruling, it is apparent that Pakistan remains ambivalent about the ICJ’s jurisdiction. But the big question is whether this means that the door is open for it to refuse to comply with the ICJ’s final judgment — or even whether it will wait beyond August for the final judgment to come.
Read full article:
Will Pakistan execute Jadhav before the final verdict?
Global Village Space |
M. K. Bhadrakumar |
The initial reports from Pakistan regarding the International Court of Justice’s interim order on the Kulbhushan Jadhav case give a sinking feeling. If chances of Pakistan carrying out the death sentence were evenly poised, the balance now tilts in favor of execution. It’s now, say, 75% to 25%. Consider the following.
There has been a heavy criticism of the Pakistani government’s handling of the case at the ICJ by the opposition parties. The accusations range from inept handling to outright criticism that Pakistan should have altogether dissociated from the proceedings and refused to accept the ICJ’s jurisdiction to the highly combustive allegations that there might have been some ‘match-fixing’ between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PM Modi. The recent visit by the Indian steel magnate Sajjad Jindal has been linked to that preposterous conspiracy theory.
Pakistani government put on a back foot
“Pakistan’s security is so important and we have to maintain our fundamental sovereign right.”
– Sartaj Aziz
Without a doubt, Sharif’s government has been put on the back foot. It is now coming under compulsion to take a hard line. The Attorney General’s Office has vowed to take the case to its “logical conclusion”. Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said Pakistan will vigorously fight this case without compromising on its national security. Advisor to Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said, “Pakistan’s security is so important and we have to maintain our fundamental sovereign right.”
Read more: Hague battle: Pakistan still very much in the game
There has been no statement from the Army so far. Evidently, the Army will keep a close tab on the groundswell of public opinion, which seems to favor the execution of Jadhav. The last date for Jadhav to appeal is May 19. But the timeline can be extended. Any such extension will give a clue on the way the wind is blowing in the GHQ in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan has already informed the ICJ that Jadhav will not be executed before August 10. It is safe to conclude that Pakistan will abide by the interim order by the ICJ. What lies beyond that certainty is a ‘known unknown’.
Having come this far, the probability is that Pakistan will present its case more forcefully at the next ICJ hearing. Surprisingly, its performance at the ICJ hearing last week was far below par – conveying even an impression that an interim order was a near-certainty and, therefore, why bother. It may have decided to keep the powder dry for the forthcoming hearing.
Will Pakistan wait for the final verdict?
From the various remarks in reaction to the ICJ’s ruling, it is apparent that Pakistan remains ambivalent about the ICJ’s jurisdiction. But the big question is whether this means that the door is open for it to refuse to comply with the ICJ’s final judgment — or even whether it will wait beyond August for the final judgment to come.
Read full article:
Will Pakistan execute Jadhav before the final verdict?
