The government of Pakistan -- under fire at home after the International Court of Justice ordered it on Thursday to not execute Kulbhushan Jadhav until it has heard the case -- has said it will put together a new team of lawyers to fight the case at the ICJ, Pakistani media reported Friday.&nbsp;

The Nation reported Sartaj Aziz, adviser to the Pakistani Prime Minister, as saying the new team of lawyers would present Pakistan&#39;s stance vigorously at the ICJ.&nbsp;

&quot;Pakistan&rsquo;s security is so important and we have to maintain our fundamental sovereign right,&rdquo; The Nation reported him as saying.&nbsp;

The ICJ is the top United Nations legal body for hearing disputes between states and its rulings are binding -- though occasionally flouted.

&quot;It is appropriate for the court to order that Pakistan take all measures at its disposal to ensure Mr Jadhav is not executed before this (11-member) court has given its final decision,&quot; presiding Judge Ronny Abraham said.&nbsp;

The decision was unanimous.

Jadhav, a former officer in the Indian navy, was arrested in March 2016 in the Pakistani province of Balochistan.&nbsp;

There has been a long-running conflict in Balochistan between Pakistani security forces and a militant separatist movement.&nbsp;

A Pakistani military court sentenced him to death in April.&nbsp;

Pakistani authorities say Jadhav confessed to being assigned by India&#39;s intelligence service to plan, coordinate and organise espionage and sabotage activities in Baluchistan &quot;aiming to destabilise and wage war against Pakistan&quot;.

India -- when it went to the ICJ -- argued before the court that Islamabad violated a treaty guaranteeing diplomatic assistance to foreigners accused of crimes.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Pakistani media reported Sartaj Aziz as saying the new team of lawyers would present Pakistan's stance vigorously at the ICJ

The government of Pakistan -- under fire at home after the International Court of Justice ordered it on Thursday to not execute Kulbhushan Jadhav until it has heard the case -- has said it will put together a new team of lawyers to fight the case at the ICJ, Pakistani media reported Friday. The Nation reported Sartaj Aziz, adviser to the Pakistani Prime Minister, as saying the new team of lawyers would present Pakistan's stance vigorously at the ICJ. "Pakistan’s security is so important and we have to maintain our fundamental sovereign right,” The Nation reported him as saying. The ICJ is the top United Nations legal body for hearing disputes between states and its rulings are binding -- though occasionally flouted. "It is appropriate for the court to order that Pakistan take all measures at its disposal to ensure Mr Jadhav is not executed before this (11-member) court has given its final decision," presiding Judge Ronny Abraham said. The decision was unanimous. Jadhav, a former officer in the Indian navy, was arrested in March 2016 in the Pakistani province of Balochistan. There has been a long-running conflict in Balochistan between Pakistani security forces and a militant separatist movement. A Pakistani military court sentenced him to death in April. Pakistani authorities say Jadhav confessed to being assigned by India's intelligence service to plan, coordinate and organise espionage and sabotage activities in Baluchistan "aiming to destabilise and wage war against Pakistan". India -- when it went to the ICJ -- argued before the court that Islamabad violated a treaty guaranteeing diplomatic assistance to foreigners accused of crimes. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Kulbhushan Jadhav case: Pakistan to change legal team

A leading Pakistani daily on Wednesday asked the civilian and military establishment why action against JeM chief Masood Azhar and JuD&#39;s Hafiz Saeed was &quot;danger&quot; to the country&#39;s national security.

The strong editorial in The Nation, considered close to the government and military establishment, came as a prominent <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/senior-pakistani-journalist-barred-from-leaving-country-after-writing-isi-government-showdown-report-7341/">journalist Cyril Almeida&nbsp;</a>of Dawn was banned&nbsp;from leaving Pakistan because of his front-page report on a rift between the military and the civilian government over the military&#39;s covert support to militant groups like the Haqqani network, Taliban and the LeT.

The editorial titled &#39;How to Lose Friends And Alienate People&#39; said the government and the military instead of taking actions against Azhar and Saeed was lecturing the press.

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Azhar and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, roam freely in Pakistan and are believed to have the protection of the military.

The daily said in its editorial that it was a &quot;disturbing day when civilian and military top leadership meet to lecture the media on how to do their job.&quot;

&quot;Apparently a barrage of online abuse, and three official denials were not enough to assuage tempers riled after Almeida&#39;s exclusive story in Dawn, detailing an unusual exchange between the very same civilian and military top brass that yesterday issued forth a statement on the violation of &#39;universally acknowledged principles of reporting on national security issues&#39;, the editorial said.

&quot;The report by Almeida has been called &#39;fabricated&#39;, and &#39;speculative reporting&#39;. But the government and military top brass in yesterday&#39;s meeting delivered no explanation for why government MNA&#39;s are protesting the visible presence of banned outfits in Pakistan. Or why possible action against Masood Azhar, or Hafiz Saeed is a danger to &#39;national security&#39;. Or why Pakistan faces increasing isolation? We&#39;re all ears. &quot;

&quot;Instead, how dare the government and military top brass lecture the press on how to do their job. How dare they treat a feted reporter like a criminal. And how dare they imply that they have either the right or the ability or the monopoly to declare what Pakistan&#39;s &#39;national interest&#39; is,&quot; it said.

&quot;And for Almeida, nothing but solidarity. More power to you, and to your pen. The press stands with you,&quot; it added.

In an editorial, Dawn said it continues to stand-by Almeida&#39;s story and has rejected allegations of &quot;vested interest and false reporting&quot;.

The Karachi Press Club has also demanded that the travel ban on Almeida be lifted.

(PTI)

The editorial backed Cyril Almeda who recently reported about a government, army showdown over the latter's jihadi policies

A leading Pakistani daily on Wednesday asked the civilian and military establishment why action against JeM chief Masood Azhar and JuD's Hafiz Saeed was "danger" to the country's national security. The strong editorial in The Nation, considered close to the government and military establishment, came as a prominent journalist Cyril Almeida of Dawn was banned from leaving Pakistan because of his front-page report on a rift between the military and the civilian government over the military's covert support to militant groups like the Haqqani network, Taliban and the LeT. The editorial titled 'How to Lose Friends And Alienate People' said the government and the military instead of taking actions against Azhar and Saeed was lecturing the press. Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Azhar and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, roam freely in Pakistan and are believed to have the protection of the military. The daily said in its editorial that it was a "disturbing day when civilian and military top leadership meet to lecture the media on how to do their job." "Apparently a barrage of online abuse, and three official denials were not enough to assuage tempers riled after Almeida's exclusive story in Dawn, detailing an unusual exchange between the very same civilian and military top brass that yesterday issued forth a statement on the violation of 'universally acknowledged principles of reporting on national security issues', the editorial said. "The report by Almeida has been called 'fabricated', and 'speculative reporting'. But the government and military top brass in yesterday's meeting delivered no explanation for why government MNA's are protesting the visible presence of banned outfits in Pakistan. Or why possible action against Masood Azhar, or Hafiz Saeed is a danger to 'national security'. Or why Pakistan faces increasing isolation? We're all ears. " "Instead, how dare the government and military top brass lecture the press on how to do their job. How dare they treat a feted reporter like a criminal. And how dare they imply that they have either the right or the ability or the monopoly to declare what Pakistan's 'national interest' is," it said. "And for Almeida, nothing but solidarity. More power to you, and to your pen. The press stands with you," it added. In an editorial, Dawn said it continues to stand-by Almeida's story and has rejected allegations of "vested interest and false reporting". The Karachi Press Club has also demanded that the travel ban on Almeida be lifted. (PTI)

Why is action against Azhar, Saeed a danger to national security, Pakistan daily asks government

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Kulbhushan Jadhav case: Pakistan to change legal team

Why is action against Azhar, Saeed a danger to national security, Pakistan daily asks government