New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a meeting with the top defence establishment, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the chiefs of three services.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan was also part of the meeting, which was held amid India weighing its options for countermeasures following the Pahalgam terror attack which left at least 26 civilians, mostly tourists, dead.
Modi has vowed to pursue the terrorists behind the attack and their patrons, a clear reference to Pakistan which has a history of sponsoring terror strikes in India, to the “ends of earth” and inflict the harshest punishment on them “beyond their imagination”.
Terrorists had gunned down tourists, who were from different parts of the country, in the popular destination of Pahalgam in Kashmir exactly a week ago on April 22.
This most brutal attack on civilians in a long spell of time in the region has sparked a wave of outrage across the country and a demand for retaliatory action against the perpetrators and their handlers.
The prime minister’s tough assertions coupled with his government’s avowed muscular stand on the issues of national security have heightened expectations of a stringent counteraction from India.
In the past, the Modi government carried out surgical strikes inside Pakistan after the terror attack on army soldiers in Uri in 2016 and the Balakot air strike after the killings of CRPF personnel in Pulwama.
Following the terror strike in Pahalgam, India has taken a series of measures targeting Pakistan, including putting in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty with the neighbouring country.
Earlier in the day, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan had chaired a high-level meeting which was attended by chiefs of three paramilitary forces and senior officers of two other security organisations, sources said. There was no official word on its agenda.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister asserted that the armed forces have “complete operational freedom” to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack, as he chaired a meeting with the top defence establishment.
Modi expressed complete faith and confidence in the professional abilities of the armed forces.
“They have complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of our response,” a source quoted Modi as saying.
Modi has vowed to pursue the terrorists behind the attack and their patrons, a clear reference to Pakistan which has a history of sponsoring terror strikes in India, to the “ends of earth” and inflict the harshest punishment on them “beyond their imagination”.
The prime minister’s tough assertions coupled with his government’s avowed muscular stand on the issues of national security have heightened expectations of a stringent counteraction from India.
In the past, the Modi government carried out surgical strikes inside Pakistan after the terror attack on army soldiers in Uri in 2016 and the Balakot air strike after the killings of CRPF personnel in Pulwama.
Following the terror strike in Pahalgam, India has taken a series of measures targeting Pakistan, including putting in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty with the neighbouring country.
Earlier in the day, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan had chaired a high-level meeting which was attended by chiefs of three paramilitary forces and senior officers of two other security organisations, sources said. There was no official word on its agenda.
Union Home Secretary chairs high-level security meeting
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting which was attended by chiefs of three paramilitary forces and senior officers of two other security organisations, sources said.
The meeting was held amid the charged atmosphere following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
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 attended the meeting, the sources said.
Additional Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal Anupama Nilekar Chandra was among the other attendees in the meeting.
It was not immediately known what transpired in the meeting.
The BSF guards India’s international borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, the SSB secures the borders with Nepal and Bhutan, the Assam Rifles protects the border with Myanmar and the NSG is a commando force specialising in anti-terror operations.
After the April 22 Pahalgam attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security decided to keep the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance with immediate effect, saying Pakistan has breached its conditions.
The CCS also decided that all Pakistanis, except those having long term visa and diplomatic and official visa, must leave India by April 29.
After the CCS decision, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on April 25 called up the chief ministers of all the states and asked them to ensure that no Pakistani stays in India beyond the deadline set for leaving the country.
Later, the Union home secretary also held a video conference with the chief secretaries of all the states and asked them to ensure that all Pakistani nationals whose visas were revoked must leave India by the fixed deadline.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 24 asserted that India will “identify, track, and punish” every terrorist and their “backers” involved in the Pahalgam carnage and pursue the killers to the “ends of the earth”, as India stepped up the diplomatic offensive against Pakistan.
At an all-party meeting held here on April 24, leaders across party lines called for a decisive action against terrorism and terror camps, assuring the government of their full support.
