Pakistan to appoint ad hoc judge at ICJ for Kulbhushan Jadhav hearing

Islamabad: Pakistan has decided to appoint its ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the next hearing on a plea filed by India against the sentencing of alleged spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court.

An Express Tribune report said that Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf Ali will be leading Pakistan`s legal team at the next hearing of the case on June 8 at the UN court, which stayed Jadhav`s execution on May 18.

Sources told the paper that the AGP informed the committee that Pakistan would appoint its ad hoc judge for the upcoming hearing and he would himself lead Pakistan`s team at the ICJ.

The decisions were communicated on Tuesday in an in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security - chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, the paper said.

The AGP briefed the meeting about the steps Pakistan is taking for its effective defence of the case at the ICJ.

In the parliamentary panel`s meeting earlier on May 23, the committee had expressed outright dissatisfaction over Pakistan`s legal strategy to deal with Jadhav`s case at the ICJ.

It said the government`s "lack of preparation" had resulted in allowing New Delhi to get a provisional stay order against the military court`s verdict, the paper quoted sources as saying.