Khan says India creating 'war-like' situation, MEA calls it a ploy

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has accused India of creating a "war-like" situation similar to the post-Pulwama terror attack to divert the world's attention from the Kashmir issue.

Khan, talking to a select group of senior Pakistani journalists on Thursday, claimed that India may stage a "false flag operation" in a bid to create a situation similar to post-Pulwama so that the world's attention could be diverted from what was happening in the Valley.

"The threat is very real. We will have to respond to such a scenario and this is how we have seen wars starting between nations," he was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.

Asked about Prime Minister Khan's comment on the "war-like" situation, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar in New Delhi said it is time for Pakistan to see the new reality and stop interfering in the internal matters of India.

"From their side, they would like to project a panic situation, the international community does not think there is a war-like situation. It is a ploy to deflect attention...It is time for Pakistan to see the new reality and stop interfering in the internal matters of India," he said.

Early this year, tensions flared up between India and Pakistan after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) killed 41 CRPF personnel in Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Prime Minister Khan said it seemed that US President Donald Trump's mediation offer triggered India to make the hasty decision of depriving Kashmir of its special status.

We tried really hard to normalise ties with India. But they [India] exploited the situation. They exploited the Pulwama [attack] for their elections. They have been lobbying to get us blacklisted by the FATF (Financial Action Task Force] as well," he added.

Khan said war was not an option but Pakistan needed to tell the world about what was happening in Kashmir.

It is not the first time that Khan has spoken about the possibility of war with India.

On Tuesday, addressing the joint session of Pakistan's parliament, Khan expressed apprehension that Pulwama-like attacks can follow the revocation of the special status for Jammu and Kashmir, which could trigger a conventional war between Pakistan and India.

Pakistan on Wednesday expelled Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria and decided to downgrade the diplomatic ties with India over what it called New Delhi's "unilateral and illegal" move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

India on Monday revoked Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Army warned India of a tough response in case of any "misadventure" by the Indian Army.