Pakistan’s Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan said on Monday that the government had deferred its scheduled move to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding India’s recent actions following Pahalgam, citing shifting priorities.
“Today we were supposed to proceed to the ICJ over India’s actions, but it has been cancelled,” Awan informed the top court during hearings of intra-court appeals challenging convictions of civilians by military courts.
During the hearing, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan appeared before the court and presented arguments on three points.
The Attorney General stated that Khawaja Haris, the lawyer for the Ministry of Defence, had already presented arguments on the events of May 9, and he too would provide some details on the matter before the court.
He said that the second part of his arguments would address the assurances given during the hearing of the main case, while the third point would pertain to the right of appeal.
The Attorney General informed the court that granting the right of appeal to those facing military trials was a policy matter, and that he would present submissions on the matter after seeking instructions.
Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail remarked that Parliament could make whatever policy decisions it deemed fit, but the court’s focus would remain limited to the present case.
The Attorney General said he had merely presented his submissions, and that it was up to the court to decide whether to grant additional time. He further pointed out that the relevant provisions in the Military Act had existed since 1967.
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar asked how much time the Attorney General would require for his arguments. The Attorney General responded that he would complete his arguments within 45 minutes.
The hearing was adjourned until May 5.
