Pakistan's ad hoc judge at ICJ suffers cardiac arrest during Kulbhushan Jadhav's case hearing: Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani media reported on Monday that ad hoc judge for the country in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) suffered a cardiac attack while the hearing in Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav's case was underway on Monday.

The 69-year-old Tassaduq Hussain Gillani suffered a heart attack and was immediately rushed to the hospital, PTI reported. Pakistani media reported that Gillani was said to be stable and is being given treatment in hospital. 

The four-day public hearing at the ICJ in Jadhav's case started on Monday.

Under Article 31 of the Statute of the Court, a State party to a case before The Hague-based ICJ which does not have a judge of its nationality on the Bench is allowed to choose a person to sit as judge ad hoc in that specific case. 

It is to be noted that the composition of the ICJ will vary from one case to another, and it is not necessary that the number of judges sitting in a given case be 15.

Representing Kulbhushan Jadhav - wrongly imprisoned in Pakistan on espionage charges - at the International Court of Justice, Harish Salve slammed Pakistan's military courts and the allegations against Jadhav.

The proceedings at the International Court of Justice lasted for more than an hour before it got adjourned for Tuesday.

During the hearing, Salve accused Pakistan of rhetorics and of violating Vienna Conventions. "Life of an innocent Indian is at risk. The credibility of a military court in Pakistan is clearly questionable as the legal system in the country is opaque. The country has no substantive defence and is only interested in anti-India propaganda," he said.  "Pakistan has violated Vienna convention by denying consular access to Jadhav. There are only wanton allegations without any legal relevance," Salve added.

Salve told the ICJ that Jadhav has been subject to torture in the three years inside Pakistani jails. He also rasied questions over Pakistani documents presented in a bid to frame him. "Pakistan registered an FIR after Jadhav was detained. There is no clarity about when Jadhav was detained. He was not even informed that he has right to consular access. India's 13 reminders were sent on various dates.  They were ignored," Salve noted.

(with PTI inputs)