So, as expected, either through a series of incredibly incompetent actions or active and deliberate connivance with India, Pakistan failed in convincing the ICJ, that it had no jurisdiction, after having updated a freshly submitted “declaration” to the ICJ on 29 March 2017, accepting their “compulsory” jurisdiction.
And so the ICJ gave immediate relief to India and stayed Yadav’s execution.
Khawaja Aamer Raza, Khawaja Saad Rafiq’s first cousin and a former VP of PMLN, with very close political ties to PM Nawaz and CM Shahbaz, having served as spokesman to both, has raised the following questions, earlier today.
1. Why did Pakistan not appoint ad hoc judge which we had a right to?
2. Why did we choose a lawyer who has not a single int law case reported from the U.K. Supreme Court?
3. Why did the FO not take legal advice before writing letters?
4. Why did Pakistan choose a London QC who is Qatar based?
5. Why did we send a first year associate from AG office instead of AG to ICJ?
6. Why did we choose a lawyer who has never argued a case independently before ICJ.
7. Why did we not submit a written defence before 15 May?
And here’s a quick timeline of contextual activities.
29th March, 2017 – Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan Permanent Rep to the UN, files a revised and qualified declaration on behalf of the Government of Pakistan “accepting the ICJ’s compulsory jurisdiction over cases brought against Pakistan”
8th April, 2017 –Gen. Qamar Bajwa, Pakistan Army COAS, confirms Kulbashan Yadav’s death sentence.
10th April, 2017 – Kulbashan Yadav’s sentenced made public.
27th April, 2017 – Sajjan Jindall, an Indian businessman, along with two Indian associates, arrives in Islamabad, mysteriously, secretly, from Kabul, and meets PM Nawaz Sharif in Murree. No official handout has been issued to date, by any Government agency, about the nature and purpose of the visit.
8th May, 2017 – India instituted proceedings against Pakistan in the ICJ under the Vienna Convention.
10th May, 2017 – ICJ send Pakistan notice to appear on May 15th.
15th May, 2017 – Pakistani and Indian lawyers present preliminary arguments. Pakistani lawyer completes his arguments well before the full 90 minutes allotted to him.
18th May, 2017 – ICJ, stays Yadav’s execution
Given the above and all that I’ve written in my last 3 articles on the issue, I say with great sadness, that this case is either one of active commission and or omission or pure incompetence of Herculean proportions.
All Pakistanis would want to believe the latter, that it was incompetence and not active collusion with India.
Because accepting the former of active collusion with India, means our National Security is compromised at our highest levels.
And if we so believe that there was and is active collusion between Pakistan and India to provide relief to Kulbashan, then the finger points right to the top and to none other than PM NAWAZ SHARIF.
PM Nawaz Sharif has to directly answer the many questions which have been raised.
And answer them in detail, to parliament and to the public, himself directly, fully, and to the complete satisfaction of the two legislatures and the common person.
And if we, the Pakistani Nation, don’t get the answers and believe he is once again lying as he did in Panamagate, then the Supreme Court must be approached to initiate an inquiry and for impeachment proceedings against him for endangering National Security, colluding with the enemy and passing classified information to India.
PM Nawaz Sharif must answer these questions, fully, squarely and directly, to avoid being labeled a traitor.
Or failing which, face the consequences of being one!
A sad day for Pakistan!