What more evidence do you need: Arun Jaitley, Nirmala Sitharaman ask Imran Khan

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said the Pulwama terror attack perpetrators themselves have admitted to the crime, what evidence does Pakistan still need. Jaitley also lashed out at Khan for not expressing any grief at the deaths of 40 CRPF personnel who were killed in the February 14 Pulwama terror attack. Khan, in a video message, on Tuesday 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. Khan responded to the Indian allegations on Pakistan's involvement in the attack in Kashmir last Thursday that left 40 CRPF personnel dead.

Addressing the media, Jaitley said on Tuesday: "Actionable intelligence can provide limited information. Here the perpetrators themselves have admitted to the crime and there is a confession. And they are located in the country of which Imran Khan is prime minister. Two persons liquidated in Pulwama are Pakistani nationals. What do you need intelligence and note for?"

"Handlers have admitted to the offence and therefore this claim of providing and acting is nothing. The evidence in your home. In the 26/11 attacks case, evidence and intel had been given and we know the fate of it. It is a diversionary statement."

Jaitley added: "There has been universal condemnation of the gruesome act of terror in Pulwama. Global community has endorsed India's stand in a major way."

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also slammed Pakistan for seeking proof of its involvement in the Pulwama terror attack and said it was India which has been providing evidence but the neighbouring country has not taken any action on it.

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"Since the Mumbai attacks, not just this government, the earlier government also had sent dossiers after dossiers, evidence after evidence, what action has Pakistan taken on them?" she asked.

Also, at every level India has been following the process of law and the Mumbai attackers had been brought to book and punished by court of law, she told a press conference.

"In Pakistan not even the first court is doing its job. There is nothing for Pakistan to show," she added.

Reacting to Khan's comments over the attack, Sitharaman said she would not want to say how the government was going to respond to it as no word is sufficient enough to assuage the anger and disappointment of every person of the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already allowed the Indian Army to respond at any given time and as they see fit, Sitharaman said.

The MEA also strongly rejected Khan's response to its allegations of Islamabad's involvement in the Pulwama attack, saying disclaiming its link with terrorist attacks is an oft-repeated excuse by the neighbouring country. In a hard-hitting statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said India was not surprised that Khan refused to acknowledge the attack on India's security forces in Pulwama as an act of terrorism.

It said the Prime Minister of Pakistan has neither chosen to condemn the heinous act nor condoled with the bereaved families.

"Disclaiming any link between the terrorist attack and Pakistan is an oft-repeated excuse by Pakistan. The Pakistani Prime Minister has ignored claims made by the Jaish-e-Mohammad, as well as by the terrorist, who perpetrated this heinous crime," the MEA said.

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