'Pakistan nerve center of terrorism': MEA rebuts Imran Khan's claims on Pulwama

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had accused India of blaming his government over the Pulwama attack "without any evidence". However, the Pak-based JeM has claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a sharp riposte to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in the wake of Pulwama terror attack, India on Tuesday said it was not surprised that Islamabad refused to acknowledge the attack as an act of terrorism and demanded that Pakistan take "visible action" against its perpetrators.

"We are not surprised that Pakistan PM refuses to acknowledge the attack on our security forces in Pulwama as an act of terrorism. Prime Minister of Pakistan has neither chosen to condemn this heinous act nor condoled," the Ministry of External Affairs said, hours after Khan ruled out his country's involvement in the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.

"India's democracy is a model for the world which Pakistan would never understand. We demand Pakistan to stop misleading the international community and take credible and visible action against the perpetrators of Pulwama terror attack," it said.

It is a well-known fact that Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and its leader Masood Azhar are based in Pakistan, the MEA said. "These should be sufficient proof for Pakistan to take action," it said.

Earlier, Khan had accused India of blaming the Pakistan government over the attack "without any evidence". However, the JeM has claimed responsibility for the attack.

"Disclaiming any link between the terrorist attack and Pakistan is an oft-repeated excuse by Pakistan. Pak PM has ignored claims made by the Jaish-e-Mohammad, as well as by the terrorist, who perpetrated this heinous crime," the MEA statement read.

"Pakistan claims to be the greatest victim of terrorism. This is far from truth. The international community is well acquainted with the reality that Pakistan is the nerve center of terrorism," it added.

(Inputs taken from The Indian Express)