Pakistan ‘ready to talk’: PM

Pakistan is ready to help India investigate the deadliest blast in Kashmir in decades, but will retaliate if Delhi attacks, Prime Minister Imran Khan said yesterday as tensions soared. Khan used a nationally televised address to demand Delhi share proof of Islamabad’s involvement in last week’s suicide blast, which killed 41 people in Indian-held Kashmir and unleashed a fresh diplomatic crisis over the disputed Himalayan region.

The attack was claimed by Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed. Indian officials have said those behind the blast will pay a “heavy price”. If India attacks, “Pakistan won’t just think to retaliate. Pakistan will retaliate,” said Khan in the address. Pakistan has denied involvement.

Khan said on Tuesday that if any militant group was using Pakistani soil to launch attacks, “its enmity is with us. This is against our interest”. “If you have some actionable intelligence about involvement of Pakistanis, give it to us, I guarantee you that we will take action,” he added. Khan said it was “easy to start a war”, but that he hopes “better sense will prevail” in the dispute.

‘Defuse tensions’

Moments after the address, Khan’s verified Instagram account posted a picture of the premier -- scowling and crossarmed -- along with a message that read: “Don’t mess with my country”. Roughly an hour after it was posted the message had more than 30,000 likes, but then was abruptly removed, replaced with video clips of the speech. Earlier Tuesday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi pleaded with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to intervene in the escalating row.

“The United Nations must step in to defuse tensions,” wrote Qureshi in a message shared with journalists. Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia vowed to “de-escalate” the situation during a high-profile state visit by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Islamabad. He is also due in India this week.