Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan authorised Thursday the military to ‘respond decisively and comprehensively to any aggression or misadventure’ by India, amidst heightened tensions between the two sides following the Pulwama terror attack that killed more than 40 CRPF soldiers, February 14.
Days after the terror strike by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said security forces have been given free hand to avenge the dastardly act.
Prime Minister Khan, who chaired a key meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) here Thursday, said the Pakistan government was ‘determined to demonstrate’ that it is capable of protecting its people.
“This is a new Pakistan and we are determined to demonstrate to our people that the state is capable of protecting them,” Khan said in a statement.
The country’s top civilian and military leadership, which discussed situation arising after the Pulwama attack, said ‘Pakistan is not involved in any way, means or form in Pulwama incident and it was conceived, planned and executed indigenously’, according to the statement.
It said Pakistan has sincerely offered investigation of the ‘incident’ and dialogue on the issue of terrorism among other disputed issues with India.
“We expect India to positively respond to these offers,” the statement said, adding that based on the investigation or any tangible evidence provided, Pakistan shall take action against anyone found using its soil.
Earlier in a video message Tuesday, the Pak PM had assured India that he would act against the perpetrators of the Pulwama terror attack if New Delhi shares ‘actionable intelligence’, but warned against any ‘revenge’ retaliatory action.
India rubbished Khan’s comments, saying disclaiming Pakistan’s link with terrorist attacks is an oft-repeated excuse by the ‘nerve centre’” of terrorism.
Other than Khan, the NSC meeting was attended by Pak Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, other service chiefs, heads of intelligence agencies, security officials and federal and state Ministers for Finance, Defence, Foreign Affairs and Interior.
PTI
Imran Khan, Pakistan Army, Jaish-e-Mohammad, India, Narendra Modi