NEW DELHI, India — Might 6, 2025
Nationwide Safety Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, Might 6, 2025, for the second time in 48 hours, as India intensifies its response to the April 22, 2025, terror assault in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, principally vacationers. The 40-minute assembly on the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi comes amid escalating tensions with Pakistan, following allegations of its involvement within the assault, claimed by The Resistance Entrance (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The Pahalgam assault, the deadliest because the 2019 Pulwama strike that killed 40 CRPF personnel, focused civilians in Baisaran valley, a scenic meadow generally known as “mini Switzerland.” Indian intelligence factors to Pakistan’s Inter-Providers Intelligence (ISI) as orchestrating the assault, a declare Islamabad denies, demanding an impartial worldwide investigation. In response, India has imposed stringent measures, together with suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, banning Pakistani imports, closing the Attari border crossing, and revoking visas for Pakistani nationals. Pakistan has warned that any transfer to divert water assets constitutes an “act of warfare,” additional inflaming tensions.
For the reason that assault, Prime Minister Modi has held a number of high-level conferences with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Workers Basic Anil Chauhan, and the Military, Navy, and Air Pressure chiefs, signaling preparations for a possible navy response. On April 29, Modi granted the armed forces “full operational freedom” to find out the mode, targets, and timing of India’s retaliation, emphasizing a “crushing blow” to terrorism. Doval’s back-to-back conferences with Modi, alongside consultations with Dwelling Secretary Govind Mohan and different safety officers, underscore the urgency of India’s strategic deliberations.
Tensions alongside the Line of Management (LoC) have worsened, with Pakistan initiating unprovoked firing for 12 consecutive days, met with proportionate Indian responses. The Ministry of Dwelling Affairs has scheduled nationwide mock safety drills on Might 7, the primary because the 1971 India-Pakistan warfare, to check civil protection preparedness throughout 244 districts.
Worldwide reactions have been swift. The UN Safety Council questioned Pakistan’s hyperlinks to LeT, rejecting its “false flag” narrative, whereas world leaders, together with U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemned the assault and expressed solidarity with India. Former U.S. NSA John Bolton supported India’s proper to retaliate however urged diplomatic efforts to keep away from escalation. Pakistan’s International Minister Ishaq Dar, whereas denying involvement, warned of a “sturdy response” if provoked, and Iran’s International Minister Abbas Araghchi referred to as for restraint.
Home sentiment, mirrored in posts on X, reveals sturdy help for a decisive response, with customers praising Modi’s management and urging motion towards Pakistan. Opposition leaders, together with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, have backed the federal government, although some, like CPI MP P. Sandosh Kumar, warning towards warfare, advocating for a particular parliamentary session to exhibit unity.
As India weighs its subsequent steps, Modi’s resolve stays agency. “The terrorists, their handlers, and their backers will likely be chased and hunted all the way down to the ends of the earth,” he declared, signaling that India’s response will likely be each strategic and extreme. With Doval’s experience guiding nationwide safety, the approaching days will likely be essential in figuring out whether or not India pursues navy motion or seeks a diplomatic decision to the disaster.
