Jadhav neither pardoned nor being facilitated, NA told

* Law minister says ordinance regarding the appeal of Indian spy was presented as per the verdict of ICJ
* Says ordinance needed to stop India from approaching UNSC for sanctions against Pakistan
* Says nowhere is it written that government needs to speak to the opposition before bringing in an ordinance

Federal Minister for Law Farogh Naseem on Friday said that Indian spy and agent of intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Kulbhushan Jadhav has not been pardoned for his involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan via ordinance.

Law Minister Farogh Naseem, after taking oath a few minutes earlier, told the House that the ordinance regarding appeal of Kulbhushan Jadhav was presented as per the verdict of International Court of Justice (ICJ). “India wanted to move against Pakistan in UNSC, if Islamabad failed to fulfill its international duties as per ICJ verdict.”

Farogh Naseem suggested not to do politics on sensitive security related matters. The sentence of Indian spy has not been overturned, neither government facilitating Jadhav, he added. In his statement in the NA session, the minister said Jadhav was arrested on March 3, 2016 and was not provided consular access until India moved ICJ over the issue. The reaction came day after a rumpus erupted in NA session when law ministry tabled ordinance regarding appeal of Kulbhushan Jadhav under Article 89 of the Constitution.

The minister said that on May 8, 2017 India had filed the case in the ICJ regarding the Indian spy and asked the court to direct Pakistan to release him. He added that the ICJ rejected India’s appeal but directed Pakistan to grant consular access to him.

He said that the ordinance was not an NRO. The NRO was issued by Musharraf,” said the minister. He added that if Pakistan had not given consular access to India, then New Delhi would have raised the issue in front of the world.

The minister also told the assembly that nowhere was it written that the government needed to speak to the opposition before bringing in an ordinance. He added that the ordinance was not produced by anyone from “under a pillow” and no one should be blamed for it.

Meanwhile, the House was informed that 50,000 new Utility Stores would be set up across the country to provide essential food items to the people at affordable prices. Responding to a question during “Question Hour”, Minister for Communication and Postal Services Murad Saeed said youth can also apply for loan to set up Utility Stores under Kamyab Jawan Program.

He said the government was taking all necessary measures to control unnecessary increase in the prices of edible and common use items so that the common many may not face undue inflationary pressure. He said inflation has declined from 14.6 percent in January this year to 8.6 percent in June this year due to proactive policy and administrative measures of the government.

Answering a question, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance and Revenue Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi said the Prime Minister and his economic team were regularly monitoring the price movement of common use items in consultation with provincial governments.

He said the government was taking all necessary measures to control unnecessary increase in the prices of edibles and common use items for protecting the common man from any undue inflationary pressure. Qureshi said a monitoring cell at Ministry of National Food Security was monitoring price hikes of essential food items on daily basis.

He said the government was expanding the network of Sasta Bazaars and Utility Store outlets for provision of smooth supply of daily use items, adding effective measures were being taken to prevent cartelization and undue profit. “National Price Monitoring Committee is regularly monitoring the prices and supply of essential items in consultation of federal ministries and provincial governments,” he added. The House will now meet again on Monday at 4 pm. News desk