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World Court Orders Pakistan Temporarily Not To Execute Alleged Indian Spy

The World Court ordered Pakistan on Thursday (May 18) not to execute an Indian citizen convicted of spying until it hears a case brought by … Continue reading World Court Orders Pakistan Temporarily Not To Execute Alleged Indian Spy


The World Court ordered Pakistan on Thursday (May 18) not to execute an Indian citizen convicted of spying until it hears a case brought by India arguing that Islamabad violated a treaty guaranteeing diplomatic assistance to foreigners accused of capital crimes.

The court, formally known as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is the top United Nations legal body for hearing disputes between states and its rulings are binding – though not enforceable and occasionally flouted.

The dispute revolves around the fate of Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav, a former officer in the Indian navy who was arrested in March 2016 in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan and sentenced to death last April.

There has been a long-running conflict in Baluchistan between Pakistani security forces and a militant separatist movement.

India argues Jadhav was wrongly convicted of spying, while Pakistan says his legal process is ongoing and Pakistan has met its obligations under the Vienna Treaty on Consular Relations, a convention that has been a frequent subject of disputes at the World Court Court, often in cases involving the United States. U.S. authorities ignored a similar ICJ injunction in 1999 and executed a German national.

ICJ’s ruling on Thursday was not final but was meant only to prevent Pakistan from taking any irrevocable steps before the court can decide whether it has jurisdiction in the case.