Khawar Qureshi hired as India's counsel in 2004: Why do you like 'Made in Pakistan' lawyer, BJP asks Congress

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday cornered Congress after it was revealed that the party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had hired Pakistan's Khawar Qureshi to represent India in the “sensitive” Dabhol power project case in 2004.

Notably, Qureshi was the counsel of Pakistan before the International Court of Justice in the case of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav. However, he has now been replaced by Pakistan's Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali.

Addressing a press conference a day after Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary on his show Daily News and Analysis (DNA) revealed that Qureshi was recommended by law firm Fox Mandal for the Dabhol power project case, the BJP today `exposed the hypocrisy of Congress`.

BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao minced no words in conveying that the then “Indian government did not find any lawyer of Indian origin to present its case in International Court of Arbitration. Incidentally, they found only a Pakistani-origin lawyer to present India's case.”

The Congress party seems to have respect only for 'Made-in-Pakistan' lawyers and not for 'Made-in-India' lawyers, Rao said, adding it was a case of sheer hypocrisy.

The BJP leader further urged Congress to explain to the country as to why it had a trust in a Pakistani-origin lawyer and did not hire anyone from the Indian side.

Rao further asked Congress why it likes everything about Pakistan? “Why its leaders like Mani Shankar Aiyar visit Pakistan and seek help to dethrone Prime Minister Narendra Modi? Why Salman Khurshid praised PM Nawaz Sharif and criticised Modi? When surgical strikes took place, why did the Congress raise a doubt on the Indian Army?”

Here's the video of his press conference:

On Friday night, it was revealed that when Congress-led UPA assumed power in 2004, they changed the entire legal team and appointed Khawar Qureshi to appear on behalf of the government of India overlooking Indian lawyers.

Qureshi had lost the case at the International Court of Arbitration in May 2005.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Office, criticised for its "poor handling" of the case and for its choice of Britain-based Khawar Qureshi as counsel, appointed Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali to plead Pakistan's case at the International Court of Justice against Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav.