Chinese Judge Backing Majority View on Kulbhushan Jadhav Case at ICJ a Setback for Pakistan

Beijing: The 15-1 judgement of the ICJ in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case may have political and diplomatic ramifications for Pakistan as the Chinese jurist and Vice President of the world court backed the majority judgement, signalling a setback for Islamabad in the high-profile verdict.

While there was no immediate official reaction here about the judgement by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Judge Xue Hanqin's backing of the majority verdict, notwithstanding the all-weather China-Pakistan ties, is being seen in China as a diplomatic victory for India.

The ICJ on Wednesday ruled that Pakistan must make an "effective review and reconsideration" of the conviction and death sentence of Indian national Jadhav and grant him consular access, in a victory for India in the high-profile case.

Jadhav, 49, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by the Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" after a closed trial in April 2017. His sentencing evoked a sharp reaction in India.

A 16-member bench led by President of the Court Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf by 15-1 votes ordered an "effective review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence of Mr Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav".

Besides being jurist, Xue, 64, served as senior official of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in various high level positions ever since she joined in 1980.

Pakistan's ad hoc judge Tassaduq Hussain Jillani was the lone dissenter of the majority judgement on Jadhav's case.

Xue, who studied law in Peking University and Columbia University School of Law has been part of the Chinese Foreign Ministry since 1980.

She worked in a number of positions, including Deputy Director-General, Department of Treaty and Law, Director-General, Department of Treaty and Law.

In bilateral relations, she was in charge of important negotiations such as negotiations between UK and China on legal matters relating to transfer of Hong Kong to China, and with the Portuguese Government in relation to Macau.

She was also involved in the negotiations on property damage arising from the US bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia; negotiations on the delimitation of the maritime boundaries of territorial sea including the maritime dispute between China and Vietnam.