INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Pakistan on Friday rejected India's demand to appoint an Indian lawyer or a Queen's counsel for death-row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav
India had made such demand to ensure a "free and fair trial in keeping with the letter and spirit of ICJ judgement".Replying to a question
during a media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that India has been consistently making the "unrealistic
demand" of allowing a lawyer from outside Pakistan to represent Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for
alleged spying."We have informed India that only those lawyers are allowed to appear in Pakistani courts who have a license to practice law
This is in line with international legal practice
There can be no change in this position," Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said.Queen's Counsel is a barrister or advocate, appointed Counsel to the UK
Crown on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor.Earlier this month, the Islamabad High Court in Pakistan directed the federal government
to give India another chance to appoint a lawyer to represent Kulbhushan Jadhav and adjourned hearing for a month.On Tuesday, Pakistan's
Parliament extended for four months an ordinance that allowed Kulbhushan Jadhav to file an appeal against his conviction in a high court as
required by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that the
Pakistan government has not been able to fulfil its obligations on implementation of the ICJ judgment in letter and spirit."It has not yet
addressed the core issues, which include provision of all documents related to the case, providing unconditional and unimpeded consular
access to Kulbhusan Jadhav and appointment of an Indian lawyer or a Queen's counsel to ensure a free and fair trial," he said at an online
media briefing on Thursday.In 2017, India approached the ICJ against Pakistan for denial of consular access to Jadhav and challenging the
death sentence handed to him by a military court.The Hague-based ICJ ruled in July 2019 that Pakistan must undertake an "effective review
and reconsideration" of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay.India has
slammed Pakistan for adopting a "farcical" approach in denying available legal remedies to Jadhav against his death sentence in
contravention of the ICJ order.Fifty-year-old retired Indian Navy officer Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on
charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017.To a question about elevating Gilgit-Baltistan's status to that of a full-fledged province,
the Foreign Office spokesperson said that reforms in GB were an ongoing process that include political, administrative and economic
reforms."It (granting status of a province) has been a long-standing demand of the people of Giligit Baltistan.These reforms will continue
in line with the needs of the people of Gilgit Baltistan," he said.India has clearly conveyed to Pakistan that the entire union territories
of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of the country by virtue of its fully
legal and irrevocable accession.(With inputs from PTI) | Pakistan govt moves court to appoint counsel for Kulbhushan Jadhav without
consulting him or India | India committed to protect life of Kulbhushan Jadhav: MEA on Pakistani death row convict
