Hopeful Pakistan will win Jadhav case: Foreign Minister

Islamabad : Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday said he is hopeful that the country will win the case against alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

"We have solid evidence against Jadhav and are hopeful we will win the case in the ICJ," Qureshi told the media in Multan city. "We will try our best to present our stance in an effective manner before the ICJ.

Qureshi's comments came a day after the ICJ announced that it will hear Jadhav's case for a week in February 2019.

"We will try to move forward under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The nation should be ready as we will have to take some bitter decisions," he said.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for espionage in April 2017 following which India moved the ICJ. A 10-member ICJ bench restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till the case was adjudicated on.

He was apprehended on March 3, 2016 after illegally crossing into Pakistan from Iran, according to Pakistani officials. Indian officials deny he was a spy and allege he was seized and taken forcibly to Pakistan.