Go, pick Jaish chief in Bahawalpur: Amarinder tells Imran

Chiding Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan over his comments demanding proof of Pakistan's role in the Pulwama attack, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday asked if the bodies of the terrorists killed by security forces should be sent to him for proof.

"What proof is he (Imran) talking about? Should we send the bodies of the terrorists killed by our security forces to him? Will he identify them?" Amarinder told the media on the sidelines of a function in Patiala.

Amarinder reacted angrily in Twitter on Tuesday to Imran's demand for proof of Pakistan's role in the Pulwama attack.

"Dear @ImranKhanPTI, you have Jaish chief Masood Azhar sitting in Bahawalpur & masterminding the attacks with ISI help. Go, pick him up from there. If you can't let us know, we'll do it for you. BTW what has been done about the proofs of Mumbai's 26/11 attack? Time to walk the talk," Amarinder tweeted.

"Tough coercive action must be taken against Pakistan for the #PulwamaTerrorAttack. It is time to act, not talk. The killing of our soldiers is not acceptable and something has to be done. No one wants war, but a mix of diplomatic, military, as well as economic pressure is needed," he said.

Asserting that the entire country is fed up with the senseless killing of Indian soldiers every day, Amarinder Singh on Monday called for "tough coercive action against Pakistan", which he suggested could be military, diplomatic or economic, or a combination of all three.

"We should get 82 of them since 41 of our men have been killed," the Chief Minister said, demanding an "eye for an eye" policy with Pakistan and terrorists backed by it.

Amarinder, a former Army Captain himself, who does not mince words when reacting to Pakistan's proxy war with India, declared: "If they (Pak-backed terrorists) kill our soldiers, we have to do something."

Advocating a strong stance in the wake of the Pulwama terror carnage, the Chief Minister said it is for the Centre to decide what form of action should be taken.

"But it is clear that some measures have to be taken urgently. India wants it now," he told mediapersons.

Amarinder heads a Congress government in Punjab since March 2017. He was earlier Chief Minister from 2002-2007.

The Chief Minister's views are at variance with the views of his Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, a cricketing friend of Imran Khan, who has been defending Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack.

--IANS

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