Pakistan appoints Ashtar Ausaf Ali to plead Kulbhushan case at ICJ

Pakistan’s decision came after the Pakistan Foreign Office was criticised for its “poor handling” of the case and for its choice of Britain-based Khawar Qureshi as counsel.

A video grab of Kulbhushan Jadhav’s statement released by Pakistan. | Express Photo Service

NEW DELHI: While Pakistan removed Khawar Qureshi and selected Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali to plead Pakistan’s case at the International Court of Justice against Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav on Saturday, the BJP claimed that Khawar Qureshi had been hired by the UPA government in the arbitration case involving Enron in 2004.

Pakistan’s decision came after the Pakistan Foreign Office was criticised for its “poor handling” of the case and for its choice of Britain-based Khawar Qureshi as counsel.

The Attorney General said the country’s defence against India’s case before the ICJ was prepared by the government in consultation with all stakeholders, including the military establishment, Geo TV reported. He also dismissed criticism on why Pakistan accepted the global court’s jurisdiction.

While this legal shuffle took place in Islamabad, BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimhan Rao in New Delhi accused UPA of changing the legal team in 2004.

“The UPA after coming to power in 2004 had changed the legal team which was arguing the case against Enron in the scrapped Dabhol power project. The UPA opted for the Pakistani counsel,” said Rao, while accusing the Congress of being “Pakistani voice” on a number of issues.

The BJP spokesman sought to know from the Congress why the government led by the party had hired the Pakistani counsel in a sensitive issue.

Apparently referring to the conflicting voice emanating from the Congress ranks over the surgical strike last year, Rao claimed that there had been a number of instances making it evident that the Congress spoke in “Pakistani voice”.

Rao also mentioned Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar and Salman Khurshid to stress that “the Congress has been supporting Pakistani voices”.