Nawaz Sharif meets Army chief amid stay on Jadhav hanging

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday held a meeting amid the stay order from the International Court of Justice against the hanging of Indian "spy" Kulbushan Jadhav.

The meeting between Bajwa and Sharif was the second within a week and is significant in the light of the prevailing civil-military relations in the country.

Sources, quoted by Geo News, said that the Prime Minister was briefed on the ICJ order.

Gen Bajwa was accompanied by Director General Inter-Services Intelligence Lt. Gen Naveed Mukhtar while Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was also present at the meeting.

Reacting to the stay order, Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister Sartaj Aziz here said: "We are analysing the Indian petition and the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) authority (on the case)."

Earlier, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said, India's decision to move the ICJ to halt the death sentence awarded to Jadhav was an attempt to divert attention from "state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan".

The ICJ on Tuesday told Pakistan not to hang Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of promoting terrorism in its territory and spying for India.

Asif tweeted: "Indian letter to ICJ attempt to divert attention from state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan. Kulbushan convicted of offences against national security."

--IANS

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