Kanwal Sibal has told RT that Islamabad has a policy of denying its role in terrorist attacks

New Delhi must send a much stronger signal to Pakistan over its support of terrorist activities, former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal has told RT.  

Sibal's comments come after several high-level Pakistani officials claimed that India was planning an imminent strike in the wake of last week's terrorist attack in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists. 

"India does not want war, but this can't carry on," Sibal said. "At some stage, this situation has to be handled in a way where Pakistan gets a serious message that it has to change its ways and has to give up the option of using terrorism as an instrument of state policy."

"Pakistan naturally wants to create public opinion against a possible Indian military attack by saying what they're saying that an attack is imminent to frighten the global community. And they have been very loosely talking about their nuclear weapons and that they will use them if Pakistan is threatened," Sibal added. "This is part of an approach they have taken since years."

Islamabad has vehemently denied any role in the Kashmir attack and has called for an impartial probe. In his interview with RT, Sibal said Pakistan has been promoting terror in India since the 1980s. "There have been major attacks - the 2008 attack in Mumbai, being the most dramatic, but there have been others and Pakistan has never admitted that they are involved in these attacks, and always said that 'where is the proof' and things like that."

Earlier on Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a cabinet meeting to discuss New Delhi's options in the wake of the Kashmir attack. Local media reported that told the chiefs of the Indian army, navy, and air force that the armed forces had "complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing" of India's response. 

Sibal added that recent remarks by Pakistan's chief of army staff, Asim Munir, that Kashmir was the "jugular vein" of Pakistan was a clear call to terrorists to prevent the further normalization of life in insurgency-ridden Jammu and Kashmir. "Which is why our prime minister has said 'enough is enough' and it's time to actually do something so that Pakistan gets a very strong message," Sibal stated.