SEAnews 2017-05-20 ArtNo.45988

【New Delhi/ Islamabad】The International Court of Justice (ICJ) today (09-05-2017) stayed the execution of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of “spying”.
　The order by the Hague-based ICJ came a day after India approached it against the death sentence handed down to Jadhav by Pakistan’s Field General Court Martial last month, official sources said.
　India, in its appeal to the ICJ, accused Pakistan of “egregious” violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and asserted that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he was involved in business activities after retiring from the Indian Navy but Pakistan claimed to have arrested him from Balochistan on March 3, 2016.
　Pakistan Army today (10-05-2017) said it will respond at an "appropriate level" to any query by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the death sentence given to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav by its military court on the charges of "spying".
　Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told the media that Jadhav was sentenced by a military court after "due process of law". "If the ICJ requests Pakistan anything about Jadhav, then the government of Pakistan will respond to it at an appropriate level,” he said.
○India, Pak tension mounts over former Indian Navy officer’s death sentence

【New Delhi】Tension between India and Pakistan peaked once again as the Pakistani authorities pronounced a death sentence on Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav (46), a former Indian Navy officer, on charges of espionage and activities of sabotage.
　“The spy has been tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded death sentence,” stated a press release issued by Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
　This prompted India to immediately halt the release of about a dozen Pakistani prisoners, who were expected to be set free on Wednesday (12-04-2017). In addition to this, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit to issue a scathing demarche. He told Basit that India would consider Jadhav’s hanging as a “premeditated murder”.
　“Jadhav was kidnapped last year from Iran and his subsequent presence in Pakistan has never been explained credibly. The government of India, through its High Commission in Islamabad, has repeatedly sought consular access to him, as provided for by international law. Requests to that effect were formally made 13 times between March 25, 2016 and March 31, 2017. This was not permitted by the Pakistani authorities,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
　Seeking intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to secure Jadhav’s release, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the BJP government needs to go beyond issuing advisories. “India needs to immediately mount a International diplomatic offensive to free Kulbhushan Jadhav,” Surjewala said on Twitter.
　【Islamabad】Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif today (11-04-2017) said the death sentence handed out to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav for "spying" should serve as a warning to those "plotting" against the country.
○PM Modi to take call on Universal Basic Income in J&K

【New Delhi】The Jammu and Kashmir government, along with Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian, is preparing a detailed presentation for the Prime Minister’s Office on implementing universal basic income (UBI) in the strife-torn state.
　This will envisage eliminating all other forms of subsidies and replacing these with an equivalent amount of cash in the bank accounts of beneficiaries. A final decision on whether to implement the programme in J&K rests with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The presentation being made by J&K Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu and Subramanian’s teams might be submitted to the PMO by the end of this month.
○Manmohan, Yadav discuss proposed Kashmir conclave

【New Delhi】Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and senior JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav today (May 10 2017) held talks about holding a national conclave of stakeholders in Kashmir, which is in ferment since the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani last July.
　Amid the ongoing unrest in the valley, BJP veteran and former union minister Yashwant Sinha, who had gone there as part of a delegation twice, and met separatist leaders among others, also had talks with Yadav.
　Yadav has also discussed the proposed conclave with CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and D Raja of the CPI and both were learnt to have favoured such a move.
　The Modi government had chosen to ignore the visit and report of the delegation which included Sinha, prompting the former external affairs minister to get in touch with opposition leaders to explore the possibility of holding a national conclave to discuss ways to restore peace in the troubled state.
　Yadav too had gone to the valley as a member of an all-party delegation but the dominant view among opposition leaders is that the government has done nothing on its report.
"The government has not taken a single step to resolve the crisis. We too have responsibilities. If the government does not act, we must do our bit," an opposition leader said.
He said an initiative must be taken in Delhi to send out a positive message to the people in Jammu and Kashmir.
○Kashmir conference likely soon as opposition leaders back Yashwant Sinha

【New Delhi】A non-governmental proposal to hold a conference to discuss the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday (May 9, 2017) received a shot in the arm when it found support from former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.
　During his half an hour meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, Abdullah requested Modi to look at the proposed initiative by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha, supported by opposition parties and leaders, including Janata Dal (United)'s Sharad Yadav and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI (M)), as a means to reach out to the people of Kashmir.
【News source】

International Court of Justice stays Jadhav’s hanging

International Court of Justice stays Kulbhushan Jadhav's execution

Ready to respond to ICJ's query on Jadhav's sentence: Pak Army

India moved ICJ as Jadhav's life is under threat in Pak: MEA

Death sentence on ex-Navy officer is ‘premeditated murder’, says India

Pakistan death sentence to former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav is murder: India

Kulbhushan death sentence: India warns Pakistan of dire consequences

Government will ensure that Kulbhushan Jadhav gets justice: Rajnath Singh

Be ready to face fallout of Jadhav's sentence: Pak Media

Jadhav's death sentence should serve as warning: Pak Def Min

Mount diplomatic offensive to free Jadhav: Congress

PM Modi to take call on Universal Basic Income in J&K

Manmohan, Yadav discuss proposed Kashmir conclave

Kashmir conference likely soon as opposition leaders back Yashwant Sinha

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