"Forces Free to Choose Mode, Time, Target to Avenge Pahalgam": PM Modi

In a decisive response to the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives—mostly tourists—Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reaffirmed India’s uncompromising stance against terrorism, granting the Armed Forces “complete operational freedom” to chart the country’s retaliation.

Chairing a high-level security meeting in New Delhi, PM Modi, flanked by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, made it unequivocally clear that the nation would deliver a "crushing blow" to terrorism and those who sponsor it.

“It is our national resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism,” the Prime Minister was quoted as saying by government sources. He conveyed complete confidence in the professionalism of the Indian Armed Forces, stating they have full autonomy to determine the timing, mode, and targets of any countermeasure.

The meeting followed the April 22 terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir—an attack that has sent shockwaves across the nation and reignited public outrage over Pakistan’s continued patronage of cross-border terrorism.

Sending a clear and uncompromising message to Islamabad, PM Modi vowed to hunt down the perpetrators and their handlers "to the ends of the earth" and deliver punishment "beyond their imagination." This rhetoric marks a continuation of India’s muscular security doctrine, previously demonstrated in the 2016 surgical strikes after the Uri attack and the 2019 Balakot airstrike post-Pulwama.

In parallel, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan chaired another high-level security review with the chiefs of paramilitary forces and senior intelligence officers. Sources suggest that a comprehensive multi-pronged strategy is being prepared—one that includes military, diplomatic, and economic dimensions.

Signalling a significant escalation in diplomatic retaliation, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has placed the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan in abeyance, citing a breach of its conditions. The move suspends a rare remaining thread of bilateral cooperation and reflects the severity with which India views the attack.

Further, the CCS ordered that all Pakistani nationals—except those holding long-term, diplomatic, or official visas—must exit India by April 29. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has personally instructed chief ministers across states to ensure strict enforcement of this directive. This was followed by a detailed video conference chaired by the Union Home Secretary with state chief secretaries, aimed at expediting the implementation.