Pulwama: Stand true to your words ‘Pathan’, Modi tells Imran

February 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday denounced the attacks on Kashmiris in the wake of the Pulwama attack, saying such things should not happen in the country. “Our fight is for Kashmir, not against Kashmiris,” he said in his first response to the attacks on Kashmiris, mostly businessmen and students, in wake of the February 14 terror strike when a Jaish-e-Mohammad operative rammed an explosive-laden SUV into a Central Reserve Police Force convoy on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, killing 40 CRPF men on the spot.

Challenging his Pakistani counterpart from an election campaign in Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it is the time for Imran Khan, who called himself a ‘Pathan’, to keep his words by bringing all those responsible for the Pulwama terror attack to justice.

Sharing one of his experiences, PM Modi said: “As per my protocol, I had called Imran Khan after he became the Prime Minister. I had urged him to fight against poverty and illiteracy. Khan had replied saying that he is a son of a Pathan (an ethnic group with deep sense of honour), he never lies. Now it is the time to test his words.”

The Prime Minister asserted that the enemies of humanity must be “taught a lesson” and that he is engaged in ensuring that Pakistan is isolated globally. He referred to the mood of “veer ras” (bravery and heroism) in the country after the Pulwama attack, particularly mentioning social media.

The prime minister’s reaction has come a few days after Imran denied his country’s involvement in the Kashmir suicide bombing and sought “actionable intelligence” from India to support its claims. He said India blamed Pakistan for the bombing “without any evidence” but added that Islamabad was ready to probe it and take action against guilty Pakistanis if evidence was shared with it.