Twitterati clash over ICJ ruling

New Delhi/Islamabad: "India bites the dust", "India served RAW justice", "Pakistan vindicated" - were among the screaming headlines of Pakistani dailies on Thursday, a day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on Kulbhushan Jadhav.

As India celebrated the ICJ ruling, which stayed the death sentence on the Indian national and directed that he be allowed immediate consular access, Twitterati from both India and Pakistan took strong positions on the ruling, attacking the other side on the social media platform and claiming victory in the case.

India has warned Pakistan that its conduct will be under watch and any "farcical attempts" claiming to implement the ICJ's order in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case would mean going back to the world court or the UN Security Council for remedies.

"It is a good moment for us to help Jadhav get justice and ensure he gets a fair trial," India's lead counsel in the case, Harish Salve, told reporters in London on Wednesday in the the wake of the judgment.

Salve indicated that the next steps would involve access to the Indian national by India's consular officials in Pakistan, who will then be able to ensure he gets full legal representation.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi termed the ruling a victory for Islamabad as the court had not ruled for Jadhav's release, though Prime Minister Imran Khan voiced appreciation for the ICJ ruling.

Pakistan Today ran the banner headline "India served RAW justice", alluding to Pakistan's claim that Jadhav is an agent of India's external intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

The Tribune of Pakistan ran the banner headline "Pakistan Vindicated", while the Daily Times' headline read "India bites the dust".

The News wrote "No Retrial, No Release", ignoring the fact that the ICJ ruled for continued stay on Jadhav's execution, which it said would "constitute an indispensable condition for the effective review and reconsideration" of his sentence and conviction.

The Dawn was more practical, with the headline "ICJ rejects Indian plea for Jadhav's acquittal, release". The Nation wrote "Pakistan wins Jadhav case at UN court".

The ICJ judgment also saw Union Minister Giriraj Singh take a jibe at the Pakistani government for tweeting the court ruling as a big win. "Not your fault.. judgment delivered in English," he retorted.