PM’s go-ahead to armed forces on target choice, action timing

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed full confidence in the professional abilities of the armed forces and said they had full operational freedom to decide the national response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

The PM’s remarks came during a top-level military commanders’ meeting at his residence, where Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan and three service chiefs were present. At the meeting, convened on the eve of the second Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting in the capital on Wednesday, the PM said it was India’s national resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism.

Top official sources quoted the PM as expressing complete faith in the professional capacities of the military. The officials said the PM told the armed forces that they had “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India’s response to the attack that killed 26 Indian tourists in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam”. With this, the PM gave a clear and firm go-ahead to the military to deal with the scourge of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism the way they deemed fit.

At today’s meeting, the military chiefs are learnt to have briefed the PM about India’s options and expressed readiness in the fight against terror.

The CCS meeting tomorrow will be crucial, with the PM expected to finalise a second set of counter-measures against Pakistan following the dastardly attack.

Only this morning, India, speaking at the United Nations, called out Pakistan as a rogue state fuelling global terrorism and fomenting destabilisation in the region.

Indian deputy permanent representative at the UN Yojna Patel said the world could no longer turn a blind eye to what Pakistan was doing. She slammed Pakistan for financing terrorism and mentioned the confession of country’s defence minister Khwaja Asif in this connection.

Official sources, meanwhile, said the CCS was likely to take a call on new retaliatory measures on Wednesday.

The CCS may also review the progress of earlier decisions, including revocation of visas for Pakistan nationals with deadlines ending today.

The CCS had at its first meeting on April 23, a day after the Pahalgam attack, suspended the six-decade-old Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan; revoked visas for Pakistan nationals; closed the only land crossing between India and Pakistan in Punjab’s Attari among major retaliatory moves.

Earlier in the day, a security review meeting was held in the Ministry of Home Affairs office here. Home Secretary Govind Mohan chaired the meeting with the heads of the CRPF, BSF, SSB and Assam Rifles.