ICJ snubs Pak, dumps Kulbushan Jadhav’s ‘doctored’ confession tape

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) today refused to see the doctored confession tape of Jadhav which Islamabad wanted to submit as "proof" against Indian citizen Kulbhushan Jadhav, even as India demanded a stay on his execution while the ICJ proceedings are on.

India urged the international court in The Hague to immediately suspend the death sentence awarded by a  Pakistani military court to alleged spy Kulbushan Jadhav, saying "the situation is grave" and there is a possibility that Pakistan may execute Jhadav even before the court decides the case.

Lawyer Harish Salve, who led the Indian legal team at the ICJ, said the matter was "urgent and hence India approached this court" that took up the case "at such a short notice".

Salve told the court that Jadhav a former Indian Navy personnel-turned-businessman, was kidnapped from Iran in 2016, brought to Pakistan, presented as an alleged Indian spy and the so-called confession was extracted in military custody.

"Pakistan did not inform India of the arrest," Salve said, pointing out that India had moved the ICJ seeking suspension of the sentence awarded to Jadhav by a military court following a "farcical trial".

Pakistan had based its case on the confession tape, which had been doctored to suit Pakistani interests.

Jadhav, who was kidnapped and later arrested by Pakistani military on spying charges on 3 March 2016, was awarded death sentence by a military court last month.

The ICJ heard the arguments of India and Pakistan in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case. India made it clear that the Jadhav has been falsely implicated by Pakistan.

Pakistan also claims that Kulbhushan Jadhav's passport bears a Muslim name and that India did not respond to Pakistan's accusations on Kulbhushan Jadhav.

India, on the other hand, highlighted the ''grave'' situation in the case and that Jadhav, who has been denied all chances of defending himself, could be hanged in Pakistan even before India could argue its case.