ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court asked the counsel for the Indian High Commission to apprise the court whether or not the Indian government was satisfied with the actions taken by the Pakistani government for the release of five Indian spies who were behind bars even after completion of their sentences.
A three-judge IHC bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb was hearing petitions filed by the Ministry of Law seeking appointment of counsel for Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and by the Indian High Commission for the release of five convicted spies who were behind bars even after completion of their sentences.
The IHC bench had earlier ordered the Pakistani government to release forthwith those convicts who have completed their respective term.
On Tuesday, when the court took up the case, the counsel for the Indian High Commission, Barrister Shahnawaz Noon, was not in attendance.
Additional Attorney General Tariq Mehmood Khokhar informed the bench that Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan was in quarantine as he tested positive for Covid-19.
He recalled the IHC order of Dec 1, 2020, in which the court asked the counsel for the Indian High Commission to apprise if there was any reservation regarding hearing of the petition for appointment of Jadhav’s counsel.
Khokhar said that Barrister Noon had not appeared since the said order was issued.
The bench repeated the order and also issued a directive for the counsel to inform the court whether or not the Indian government was satisfied by the actions taken by the Pakistani authorities for the release of the convicts who had completed their sentences.
Further hearing in this matter has been adjourned till April 18.
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