India's letter to International Court of Justice on Kulbhushan an attempt to divert attention: Pakistan

Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif has termed India's letter to International Court of Justice(ICJ) over the execution of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadav as "an attempt to divert attention from state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan". Pakistan's defence minister added, "Kulbhushan has been convicted of offences against national security." 

Earlier today the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed the execution of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav who was sentenced to death by a Pakistan military court over charges of "spying".

India's minister of state for external affairs V.K. Singh said, "ICJ's approval to our stand proves that India was always right in saying that Pakistan was unnecessarily playing politics by giving a penalty of death sentence to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav."

The Hague-based ICJ stayed the hanging following India's submission that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he was involved in business after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Jadhav's death sentence, which was given last month, had evoked a sharp reaction from India with the country warning Pakistan of consequences and damage to bilateral ties if the "pre-meditated murder" was carried out.

In its appeal to ICJ, India had accused Pakistan of "egregious" violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relation.

India had acknowledged that Jadhav had served with the Navy but denied that he had any connection with the government.

India's minister of external affairs, Sushma Swaraj tweeted saying, senior advocate, Harish Salve is representing India before ICJ. 

(WION with inputs from PTI)