Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday rejected Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s promise of action on the Pulwama attack, but said he should be given a chance.

Khan on Tuesday claimed India had blamed Pakistan for the Pulwama attack without any evidence. He said he would take action if India has “actionable evidence”.

Mufti said a dossier on the terrorist attack at the Pathankot air base in 2016 was submitted to Pakistan, but no action was taken to “punish the perpetrators”. “Time to walk the talk,” Mufti said. “But Pak PM deserves a chance since he’s recently taken over. Of course the war rhetoric has more to do with the impending elections than anything else.”

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said he had “many apprehensions” about Khan’s statement, ANI reported. But he added: “The threat to national security is because of the inefficiency of the ruling party. BJP leaders are belittling the country with their petty actions and wrongdoings.”

Demanding tough action against terrorism, Naidu said the Telugu Desam Party will not tolerate it if national security is jeopardised for “self-interests”. “We will not tolerate playing with Army for political gains,” he added.

Responding to Khan’s statement, India had said his claim that Pakistan will investigate the attack if proof is provided was a “lame excuse”. It said proof was provided to Pakistan following the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008. “Despite this, the case has not progressed for the last more than 10 years,” the government said.

India said Khan had refused to condemn the Pulwama attack in his statement, nor did he offer his condolences to the families of the 40 Central Reserve Police Force who died.