Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday called for a truce with India and urged his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, to let better sense prevail.

In a televised national address, Khan said it was not a time to let the military forces of either nation take over, as it would only lead to more number of deaths.

“If we let the conflict between the two nations escalate from this point, we don’t know where it would go. It would neither remain in my control nor in Narendra Modi’s,” Khan said.

The Pakistan premier added, “I have said this before and I am repeating it. If India wants to hold a dialogue, we are ready. If they want to discuss militancy, terrorism, we are ready. They have to let us know. This time, at least this time, better sense should prevail.”

Imran Khan referred to the biggest wars in the history of mankind to further cement his point that a military conflict cannot be a solution to issues between nations.

“We have seen before and the history is the witness that a war is always fought based on miscalculations. [United States of] America did not know for how many years it would continue to fortify Afghanistan. Hitler did not know the exact number of people killed. So, can we, at this juncture, afford to miscalculate the repercussions of this conflict?” Khan said.

Imran Khan softened his stand after duly reminding India that Pakistan did offer all assistance and support in the investigation into the Pulwama attack.

“No sovereign country can allow another country to become judge, jury and executioners. Therefore I prompted India in case of aggression, we would have no option but to respond,” he added.

Imran Khan further said two Indian MIGs did cross the Line of Control and they were shot down.

“Our action was only intended to convey that if you can come into our country, we can do the same. Two of their MiGs were shot down [in the ensuing squirmish],” Khan said.

The Pakistan prime minister held his address minutes after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar confirmed one Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was indeed missing in action.

Earlier, Major General Asif Ghafoor, the spokesperson for the Pakistani military, held a press conference claiming that Pakistani fighter jets had carried out “strikes” in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Pakistani jets also took down two Indian Air Force fighters, Ghafoor said, one of which crashed in Paksitan-controlled territory. Both pilots of the crashed jet — a MiG 21 — were taken in custody and one who was injured was being giving treatment.

The Pakistani government also released a video claiming it was of one of the “arrested” pilots.

The developments today took place a day after the Indian Air Force carried out a pre-emptive airstrike in Pakistan. The pre-dawn airstrike targeted a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist camp in Bala Kote.

The camp, Jaish’s largest in Pakistan, was completely destroyed in the strike and several terrorists and commanders were killed, the Indian government said. Sources told India Today TV that the camp attacked was where the Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force jawans were killed, was planned.

Pakistan denied that an attack had taken place but admitted that Indian Air Force jets entered Pakistani airspace. Islamabad threatened retaliation to the airstrike.