The ICJ regrets the Government of Pakistan’s attempt to influence the result of the ICJ report on Kashmir.
Acting apparently upon instructions from Islamabad, representatives of the Pakistani government approached ICJ members in various capitals in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. The officials sought to exert political pressure on the ICJ’s professional work in favour of one of the parties involved. This type of pressure is unprecedented in the history of the ICJ.
The ICJ also deplores the leaking to the press of an early ICJ Draft Report on Kashmir. Some press reports quote selected passages from an advance draft report which had been sent in confidence to the Governments of India and Pakistan before its public release. Some of the press reports go on to state that a high level Indian delegation is in Geneva to “browbeat the ICJ to change the report.”
The members of the ICJ mission were the first representatives of any international human rights organisation to be authorised by the Indian government to visit Kashmir since the start of the disturbances.
The draft report was sent to the Governments of India and Pakistan for their comments. This was followed by discussions in Geneva with representatives of the Indian government as well as with an envoy of the Pakistan government. Both meetings were held in a spirit of cooperation with a view to strengthening the Rule of Law in Kashmir.
According to the ICJ Secretary General, Adama Dieng, the leaking of selected passages from the draft report “constitutes a breach of trust which we strongly condemn.” He added: “no government, individual or group should infringe upon the work of the ICJ, nor manipulate the distinguished jurists who conducted its mission to India and Pakistan to investigate the human rights situation in Kashmir.”
