Kulbhushan Jadhav case at ICJ: Attorney-General Ashtar Ausaf Ali to represent Pakistan

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali will plead Pakistan’s case at the International Court of Justice against Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav. The development came after the Pakistan Foreign Office was criticised for its “poor handling” of the case and for its choice of Britain-based Khawar Qureshi as counsel. The ICJ on 18 May stayed the execution of Jadhav. The Attorney General said the country’s defence against India’s case before the ICJ was prepared by the government in consultation with all stakeholders, including the military establishment, Geo TV reported. [caption id=“attachment_3461496” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Ashtar Ausaf Ali. Image courtesy: agfp.gov.pk[/caption] He also dismissed criticism on why Pakistan accepted the global court’s jurisdiction. Referring to the Pakistan’s March 2017 declaration in relation to the jurisdiction of the ICJ, Ausaf said that the ongoing propaganda on the issue was misplaced. “The correct position is that Pakistan had signed off to an unconditional declaration to agree to the jurisdiction of the ICJ way back in September 1960. In March 2017, we made a declaration of exceptions, reservations, and conditions,” Ausaf said. He said that the original 1960 declaration was without reservations and exceptions. Pakistan prior to March 2017 had signed up to an ipso facto (by the fact itself) compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ. “We had become signatory to a declaration of submission to jurisdiction without any exceptions in September 1960.” In March 2017, he said, Pakistan created the firewalls, including the one relating to the security of Pakistan for the first time. He explained that in the present case, the ICJ is not looking at this aspect of the matter. “They are looking at the Vienna Convention and the optional protocol to the convention. India and Pakistan both are signatories to this. The optional protocol invests the ICJ with powers and jurisdiction to decide disputes between member states.” “If we were to withdraw this declaration, we would have to go back to 1960 declaration which gives jurisdiction without exceptions,” he maintained. The TV channel also reported that Qureshi was paid 50,000 pounds for the case. However, the Indian lawyer charged only one Indian rupee for his services.