WHAT A FARCE
Date :10-Jul-2020
A PERVERSE nation like Pakistan can never be trusted to follow the tenets of law and justice. The Rogue State has brazened it out yet again in Indian navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case by making farcical claims that the held Indian national had refused to initiate a review petition for his release from Pakistan’s custody. Jadhav is languishing in Pakistan’s jail for last four years on false charges and equally farcical trial in Pakistan’s military court that sentenced the Indian to death. India has managed to stall the death sentence by winning a fierce judicial battle in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) where legal luminary Adv Harish Salve shredded Pakistan’s judicial trial against Jadhav. Despite the ICJ verdict indicting Pakistan’s egregious violation of the Vienna Convention, Pakistan has been attempting to scuttle the Ordinance. The new and laughable claim is part of the fraud initiated by Pakistan’s authorities to deny a fair trial to Jadhav. The situation is now back to square one and leaves India no option than to move the ICJ yet again. The ICJ must need to taken into account the poor track record of Pakistan to give justice to Jadhav.
PLAY!
AS IF symbolic of the situation that the world finds itself in after the outbreak of coronavirus, the restart of international cricketing action, too, was hit by ominous black clouds followed by rains when England and West Indies began the ‘biosecure’ cricket Test at Southampton. Play was possible for around an hour but more than the action it was the resumption of cricket that spread a warm feeling about normalcy taking roots in life, soon. Entire cricketing fraternity was eagerly waiting for the Test series since the virus forced shutters on play in mid-March. This Test will be marked in the game’s history as a pathbreaker for the strict health protocols being practiced by the two teams. No saliva on ball, no high-fives, no handing over of jumpers to umpires, no crowding after fall of wicket.... it is a new dawn in cricket. Rains will further hamper action in the Test but now with no spectators and crowd to handle, there is a possibility of the game extending for another day to make up for the time lost. Cricket has earned itself this luxury following the COVID enforced changes. There is no harm in twisting rules for the benefit of the larger picture. It is ‘play’ time for the world.