Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said the country will certainly retaliate if India declares war after the suicide bombing in Kashmir but also pledged to act against Pakistanis found involved in the attack if "actionable intelligence" was provided.

"If you (Indian government) think you will attack us and we will not think of retaliating, we will retaliate. We will have no other option other than retaliating. We all know starting a war is in the hands of humans, where it will lead us, only God knows," Khan said in a nationwide broadcast.

The Pakistani leader said the Indian government blamed Pakistan for the February 14 Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF troopers without any evidence but added that Islamabad was ready to investigate the bombing and act if India gave "actionable intelligence".

Meanwhile, Lt Genkanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon who heads the Srinagar based 15 corps said anyone who picks up the gun will be eliminated. He also said that the Jaish-e-Mohammad leadership in the valley has been eliminated.

To discuss this Parikshit Luthra is in conversation with Talmiz Ahmad, former Indian envoy to Saudi Arabia; Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, former GOC, 15 corps strategic affairs analyst, Waiel Awwad, senior journalist and political analyst, Vivek Katju, former secretary, MEA.

Talmiz Ahmad said, “This is one of the most absurd remarks that I have heard. Actually, the head of Jaish-e-Mohammad had already accepted responsibility for his action. It was created by the Pakistani forces. It has been functioning under their supervision and guidance. It has been indoctrinated by them. For him to now make this absurd remark makes no sense to me whatsoever. What kind of actionable evidence does he want when there is already confessions from somebody within his jurisdiction. Let him take action immediately, arrest these people who have already confessed to the crime.”

Vivek Katju said, “Khan’s message was a warning. All the other aspects of the message can be ignored because they are absolutely absurd. What he was really saying is that if India takes a military action, uses the armed forces the Pakistanis will respond. Imran Khan was only the mouth piece of the Pakistan army. So this is the message that he is giving us.

Syed Ata Hasnain said, “It is quite clear the moment an action is taken by any Pakistani Tanzim backed by the ISI against an Indian facility and it is realised on the other side that there will be a response. There has not been a history of response, I agree 26/11 and Uri we had the surgical strikes, we have not had a major response as such each time. So the expectation by any military mind will always be that there is going to be some kind of a retaliation, some kind of a response so the element of surprise is actually already lost.

First Published:Feb 19, 2019 9:31 PM IST