International Court to deliver verdict on July 17 in Kulbhushan Jadhav case
New Delhi, Jul 4: The Hague-based International Court of Justice on Thursday said it will deliver on July 17 its verdict in the case relating to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on death row in Pakistan.
Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017. India approached the ICJ in May 2017 against Pakistan for denying consular access to Jadhav.
India had also challenged the "farcical trial" by the military court of Pakistan against 48-year-old Jadhav. The ICJ on May 18, 2017 had restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case.
The ICJ, in a statement, said a public sitting will take place at 3 pm (6.30 pm IST) on July 17 at the Peace Palace in The Hague, during which Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, the President of the Court, will read out the verdict.
The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the UN charter in June 1945 and it began its activities in April 1946. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
The court held a four-day public hearing in the case in February during which both India and Pakistan submitted their detailed pleas and responses.
India based its case on two broad issues breach of the Vienna Convention on consular access and the process of resolution. It also urged the ICJ to annul Jadhav's death sentence and order his immediate release, saying the verdict by a Pakistani military court based on a "farcical trial" and it failed to satisfy even the minimum standards of due process.
Pakistan on its part insisted that the Indian Navy officer was a "spy" and not a businessman.
Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran
However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy. Jadhav's sentencing had evoked a sharp reaction in India
Pakistan had rejected India's plea for consular access to Jadhav at the ICJ, claiming that New Delhi wants to get the information gathered by its "spy".
However, Pakistan facilitated a meeting of Jadhav with his mother and wife in Islamabad on December 25, 2017.
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Karnataka to convene joint legislative session from Jan 22 to 31 to discuss MGNREGA
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka cabinet on Wednesday decided to convene a joint session of the state legislature from January 22 to 31, where the repeal of MGNREGA by the Centre will be discussed.
While the Congress government initially planned a two-day special session to discuss the repeal of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which the Centre replaced with Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB—G RAM G), State Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil explained that the format was changed due to constitutional requirements.
Briefing reporters, Patil said due to a technical reason, the government is convening a joint session and not a special session.
“The joint session (of Karnataka Legislature) will be held from January 22 to 31. Holidays will be announced by the Speaker.”
Quoting Article 176, he said the Constitution very specifically mentions and mandates the Governor's address on the first day of the session after the election or the first session of each year.
“In view of this technical reason, in fact, we are advancing the session. Instead of a special session, it will be a joint session until further session."
“In the federal system if the rights of the people of our state are snatched, government will not sit idle, it cannot avoid calling a session. Hence, to create awareness and to restore the MGNREGA we will make efforts to put appropriate pressure on the Centre,” the Minister said.
