New Delhi — As tensions between India and Pakistan continue to escalate in the aftermath of the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stepped up consultations with the military leadership, signaling strong retaliatory intent.
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh met PM Modi on May 3 for about 40 minutes, adding to a series of high-level discussions with service chiefs. The meeting follows similar engagements with Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande on April 30 and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi just hours after the Air Force chief, at 6 pm on May 3.
These back-to-back meetings come after PM Modi’s pivotal April 26 strategy session with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, and all three service chiefs, where the Prime Minister is said to have given the armed forces a “free hand” to act decisively against Pakistan.
The heightened defence preparedness is evident as the Ordnance Factory Board has cancelled all employee leaves with immediate effect. Meanwhile, India has already implemented significant diplomatic and strategic steps, including:
• Downgrading diplomatic relations with Pakistan
• Cancelling all visas issued to Pakistani nationals
• Closing Indian airspace to Pakistani airlines
• Suspending the Indus Waters Treaty
In response, Pakistan has reportedly suspended the Simla Agreement and issued tit-for-tat measures as fears of Indian retaliation loom large.
The Pahalgam massacre — in which 26 tourists, including a Nepali national, were gunned down after being forced to recite the Kalma — has triggered nationwide outrage. The attackers are believed to have specifically targeted non-Muslim tourists in a chilling act of communal terrorism.
PM Modi has vowed to bring the perpetrators and their backers to justice, saying, “We will hunt them down at the ends of the earth.”
With military and diplomatic channels heating up, the coming days are likely to be crucial in determining the trajectory of India-Pakistan relations.
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