Under fire after Hague ruling, defiant Pak says ICJ can't nullify Jadhav's death sentence, won't give consular access to India

Aziz told Times Now that the International Court of Justice (CJI) has only stayed Jadhav's execution but didn't order on consular access to India.

New Delhi: Holding that it's wrong to say Pakistan lost ground in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case at CJI, country's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz on Saturday said that his government would continue to refuse consular access to India.

Aziz told reporters in Islamabad that the International Court of Justice (CJI) had only stayed Jadhav's execution but didn't order on consular access to India.

He added that it would be wrong at this stage to say Pakistan lost the case at ICJ as widely reported by the Indian media.

The reaction comes after Pakistan appointed Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali in place of advocate Khawar Qureshi to fight its case at CJI.

“There was a paucity of time earlier, we will strengthen our legal team for the next time,” Aziz said, adding the ICJ has only given a provisional order.

He also claimed that ICJ can't nullify Jadhav's death sentence.

"Jadhav had confessed to carrying out terrorist activities inside Pakistan and was a naval officer using a fake passport. He was sentenced according to the country's law," Aziz said in a press conference.

Responding to a question on why no judge was sent on the day of the ICJ hearing, he said the government could not appoint one within a short period of five days.

"We will go with a strong team in the next hearing," Aziz said adding that even if Pakistan had chosen an ad hoc judge, the ICJ's verdict would not have changed.

He defended Islamabad's position saying Jadhav was tried and convicted in line with the country`s constitution and laws, adding that Pakistan`s position was "very strong" in this respect.

Jadhav was reportedly arrested in a counter-intelligence raid in Balochistan in March 2016.