As his government weighs its response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting with the military brass in New Delhi Tuesday and sources quoted him saying the armed forces have “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of our response”.
Reposing “complete faith and confidence in the professional abilities of the armed forces”, Modi, sources said, “it is our national resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism”.
The Tuesday meeting at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, the Prime Minister’s residence, was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh and Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi.
A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has also been called Wednesday, the second after the terror attack.
The CCS comprises the Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Home Minister, Finance Minister and External Affairs Minister.
On April 23, a day after 26 people were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, the CCS met and the government, while underlining the “the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack”, put on hold the Indus Waters Treaty, downgraded diplomatic relations with Pakistan by reducing the mission strength by half, expelled diplomats and top defence officials from the Pakistan High Commission, cancelled visas, and shut the Attari-Wagah border. It also withdrew its own advisors and staff from its mission in Islamabad.
Following the CCS decisions, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked all states to ensure that no Pakistan national stays in India beyond the deadline set for leaving the country.
Modi promised retribution for the attack and sent Pakistan a tough message, saying “India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers” and would “pursue them to the ends of the earth”. An all-party meeting saw leaders cutting across party lines to assure the government of their full support for whatever action it takes.
Also Tuesday, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan chaired a meeting which was attended by heads of three paramilitary forces and senior officers of two other security organisations.
Director General (DG) of Border Security Force Daljit Singh Chaudhary, DG of National Security Guard Brighu Srinivasan and DG of the Assam Rifles Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera were present at the meeting. So was Additional Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal Anupama Nilekar Chandra.
