19th Jul 2019 10:07:PM Editorials
Eastern Sentinel Arunachal News

The judgement delivered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled overwhelmingly in favour of India and has held Pakistan guilty of gross violation of the Vienna Convention, since it had denied consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Indian national who has been in its custody for more than three years. ICJ has also directed Pakistan that it can no way execute Jadhav and must review the conviction and death sentence. No doubt, it is a great relief for India and has been viewed as a great legal and diplomatic victory. But if the actual realities are objectively analysed, keeping aside the current euphoria, it’s a hard truth that comes out. Even if the death sentence has been annulled, in all probability it is going to be a long battle ahead for India for actually freeing the captive from Pak clutches.
The case caught great media attention and led to severe diplomatic wrangles between the two ever-hostile neighbours. Pakistan claimed that Jadhav was arrested by its security forces on March 3, 2016 near its Afghan border, but India termed this claim as baseless and argued that he was kidnapped in Iran and that too on a much earlier date. A year later Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court, a kangaroo court to be precise, on charges of espionage and terrorism and it was in May 2017 when India knocked the ICJ doors for justice. Since then India has also been rejecting the Pak claim that Jadhav had confessed being an Indian spy. The decision of capital punishment was rejected outright by the Indian government since it was clear that it was an ‘extracted confession’. Subsequently,  it had been a protracted legal battle at the ICJ and simultaneous exchanges of numerous diplomatic notes, demarches and letters between the two countries.
Coming to the victory, which is a 15-1 in India’s favour from a 16-judge bench, it can be said that we have been quite successful in exploiting an increasing international acceptance that Pakistan is a rogue state in all parameters. As of now, it can be said that it is just a part of the battle that has been won and the more arduous part is probably yet to be unfolded. And according to most experts, the only option left for India for cracking a hard nut like Pakistan is the diplomatic route with gathering of solid international support along with, in this presumably prolonged process.
It’s only a half victory and the superlative intent and resilience that had been displayed so far must be pursued with greater intensity until the ultimate aim i.e  Kulbhushan Jadhav’s safe passage to India is achieved.


Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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