Pakistan's newly appointed Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday said that he is hopeful that Pakistan will win the case against Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Speaking to media persons in Multan, Qureshi asserted that the country has solid evidence against Jadhav and Pakistan would try its best to present its stance before the court in an effective manner.
The Foreign Minister's remarks came just a day after the International Court of Justice said that Jadhav's case will be heard for a week in February 2019. "We will try to move forward under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The nation should be ready as we will have to take some bitter decisions," Qureshi was quoted as saying by IANS.
A Pakistani military court had sentenced Jadhav to death for espionage in April 2017 after which India moved the International Court of Justice. Pakistan was restrained by a 10-member bench of the ICJ from executing Jadhav till the case was adjudicated.
Jadhav was apprehended on March 3, 2016, after he had allegedly crossed into Pakistan from Iran, as per Pakistani officials. However, India has long maintained that Jadhav was not a spy and was forcibly taken to Pakistan.
In its submission before the International Court of Justice, Pakistan had claimed that Jadhav was not a common man since he had entered Pakistan with the intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.
India, on the other hand, has been denying all the charges stating that Jadhav had business interests in Iran after he had retired from the Navy and is not linked with the government in any way.
(With IANS inputs)
