New Delhi: Welcoming the International Court of Justice's verdict on the Kulbhushan Jadhav's death sentence case, the Congress party on Thursday questioned the 'dubious' intentions of Pakistan to the ruling.
Former union minister and Congress leader Sachin Pilot while speaking to ANI said, "The signatories to the Vienna Convention are bound by the verdict of the International Court of Justice. Now, the ICJ has intervened and given relief to Kulbhushan Jadhav, which is a welcome step. I think we all very thankful and appreciative that finally justice has prevailed. The kangaroo military court that Pakistan has established, I think, was completely illegal and there was no ground on which a person could be executed."
"Unfortunately, I am not confident about the intentions of Pakistan because it is known for disregarding the international court's verdict. So, I just hope that the Government of India is able to counter those moves and is able to guard Jadhav and his life despite the court's verdict today," Pilot said.
Another Congress leader KTS Tulsi congratulated lawyer Harish Salve and the Centre for taking adequate steps in putting forth India's point clearly and succinctly.
"I would like to congratulate Harish Salve and the government for a very decisive victory that India has had with the verdict of the ICJ coming entirely in our favour. Pakistan's case was not found to be correct prima facie. I only hope that Pakistan will abide by this verdict and will not defy the order of the international court failing which the consequences could be far more serious," said Tulsi.
Another Congress leader and former union minister Manish Tewari welcomed the ICJ decision and urged the government to use it as a trigger to bring back Jadhav safely.
"The government of India must use the ICJ decision as a trigger to bring Kulbhushan Jadhav back. The ICJ has given a favourable decision which is absolutely humanitarian and content. Now, the government of India must use this decision to see that Jadhav comes back home safely," Tewari said.
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad too welcomed the ICJ ruling in Jadhav's case and said, "Case against Kulbhushan Jadhav by Pakistan was a sham and was in gross violation of international law as his execution was ordered by a kangaroo court without consular access."
"It is appreciated that the World Court saw reason in Indian appeal and could see through the false Pakistan propaganda by rightly turning down their request to play the purported confessional video during hearing earlier," Azad said.
In a major reprieve to India, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the primary judicial organ of the United Nations, temporarily stayed the death sentence awarded to former Indian Naval officer and alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav by the Pakistan military court, citing that both India and Pakistan were bound by the Vienna Convention and that the rights invoked by New Delhi under the Vienna Convention were plausible.
