Pakistan rejects India's incorrect and misleading assertions about Kulbhushan Jadhav case: FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Foreign Office on Friday categorically rejected  India's incorrect and misleading assertions about the legal proceedings related to its spy  Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav's case.

A day ago,  the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had falsely claimed that Pakistan is trying to link Jadhav's case with another Indian prisoner, Muhammad Ismail, who is currently under custody in Pakistan.

"The Government of India is reminded that in pursuance of the judgment of International Court of Justice (ICJ), Pakistan had invited the Indian High Commission to meet with Commander Jadhav and appoint a lawyer on his behalf so that proceedings to review and reconsider Commander Jadhav’s conviction could commence," the statement read. 

And while Pakistan made the offer, India refused the proposal, saying that the move would amount to a waiver of India’s sovereign immunity.

"Resultantly, the government of Pakistan was constrained to initiate proceedings for appointment of a state counsel for Commander Jadhav."

According to the statement, during the course of the proceedings,  the Attorney-General for Pakistan cited the case of  Muhammad Ismail, an Indian national currently in custody in Pakistan,  where the Indian High Commission had instructed Mr Noon as its lawyer. This reference was only made to show the discrepancy in the Indian position.

"Contrary to the false statement by the MEA, no attempt was made to link the cases of Commander Jadhav with another Indian prisoner Ismail. The two cases are and remain entirely distinct. Reference to the case of Mr Ismail was only for purpose of showing the discrepancy and inconsistency in the Indian position," per the statement. 

The FO once again urged the Indian government to refrain  from its usual "diversionary and dilatory tactics and instead take practical steps so that legal proceedings could be duly concluded and full effect could be given to the judgment of ICJ."