<div align="justify">The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is unlikely to start hearing on India’s plea against Pakistan in the case of the death sentence awarded to former navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav before early next year.<br /><br />The ICJ, which is based in The Hague, has given India time till September 13 to file “memorial” or initial pleadings on its complaint against Pakistan for violation of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations in the case of Jadhav. <br /><br />Pakistan has also been given time till December 13 to respond to the memorial submitted by India, the ICJ said on Friday. The hearing will commence only after both sides submit the memorial and counter- memorial before the court. The ICJ on May 18 asked Islamabad not to execute the death sentence awarded to Jadhav by a military court in Pakistan till it decided on the plea by India. <br /><br />Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Gopal Baglay, said that the representatives of India and Pakistan had a meeting with ICJ President Ronny Abraham on June 8 to set the timeline for submission of written arguments and counter-arguments before the commencement of the hearing. India's representative had asked for four months time to file initial pleadings and it was accordingly granted time till September 13, said Baglay.<br /><br />He dismissed the claim made in some reports in the media in Pakistan that India's request for six months' time till December 13 had been rejected by the ICJ. “The president made the Order taking into account the views of the parties. The subsequent procedure has been reserved for a further decision,” the ICJ said on Friday.<br /><br /></div>
<div align="justify">The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is unlikely to start hearing on India’s plea against Pakistan in the case of the death sentence awarded to former navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav before early next year.<br /><br />The ICJ, which is based in The Hague, has given India time till September 13 to file “memorial” or initial pleadings on its complaint against Pakistan for violation of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations in the case of Jadhav. <br /><br />Pakistan has also been given time till December 13 to respond to the memorial submitted by India, the ICJ said on Friday. The hearing will commence only after both sides submit the memorial and counter- memorial before the court. The ICJ on May 18 asked Islamabad not to execute the death sentence awarded to Jadhav by a military court in Pakistan till it decided on the plea by India. <br /><br />Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Gopal Baglay, said that the representatives of India and Pakistan had a meeting with ICJ President Ronny Abraham on June 8 to set the timeline for submission of written arguments and counter-arguments before the commencement of the hearing. India's representative had asked for four months time to file initial pleadings and it was accordingly granted time till September 13, said Baglay.<br /><br />He dismissed the claim made in some reports in the media in Pakistan that India's request for six months' time till December 13 had been rejected by the ICJ. “The president made the Order taking into account the views of the parties. The subsequent procedure has been reserved for a further decision,” the ICJ said on Friday.<br /><br /></div>
