Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given India’s military “operational freedom” to respond to a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir last week, a senior government source told AFP on Tuesday, after New Delhi blamed it on arch-rival Pakistan, albeit without proof.
A week after the deadliest attack on civilians in the contested region in years, Modi on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with army and security chiefs, during which he told the armed forces that they had the “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of our response to the terror attack”, said the government source, who was not authorised to speak to the media.
The government released video images of a stern-faced Modi meeting with army chiefs, as well as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Also on Tuesday, India’s army said it had repeatedly traded gunfire with Pakistani troops across the Line of Control (LoC). The two neighbours have been trading fire across the LoC for five days now, with each blaming the other for provocation.
The Pakistan Army did not confirm the shooting, but state media reported on Tuesday it had shot down an Indian drone, calling it a violation of its airspace.
It did not say when the incident happened, and there was no comment from New Delhi.
India alleged the “Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked small arms firing across the LoC” overnight from Monday to Tuesday, the fifth night in a row that fire was exchanged there.
The Indian army said its troops had “responded in a measured and effective manner to the provocation”. There were no reports of casualties.
PM Shehbaz urges UN chief to ‘counsel India’ to ‘exercise restraint’
Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres held calls today with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and India’s foreign minister to express “deep concern at rising tensions”, his spokesman said.
The UN chief “underscored the need to avoid a confrontation that could result in tragic consequences. He offered his good offices to support de-escalation efforts”, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
During the telephone call, the prime minister affirmed that Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, while highlighting the significant sacrifices rendered by the country in the global war against terror.
While rejecting Indian accusations against Pakistan as “baseless”, the prime minister categorically rejected any attempt to link Pakistan with the Pahalgam incident and reiterated his call for a transparent and neutral investigation into the incident.
He expressed serious concerns over India’s attempts to delegitimise the Kashmiri freedom struggle by using the bogey of terrorism, as well as its widely documented state-sponsored terrorism in occupied Kashmir.
He particularly highlighted India’s weaponisation of the waters of the Indus Basin as unacceptable, while noting that water was the lifeline of 240 million people.
While underscoring that Pakistan would defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity with full force in case of any misadventure by India, the prime minister encouraged the UN chief to counsel India to “act responsibly and exercise restraint”.
He emphasised that the unresolved issue of Jammu and Kashmir remained the root cause of instability in South Asia, and urged the UN chief to play his role for its just resolution, in accordance with relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.
The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment towards fostering international peace and security as a responsible member of the international community and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
The UN chief appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for peace in South Asia and said that the world could not afford any escalation in the region at the crucial time.
Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing an attack in occupied Kashmir on April 22 in which 26 men were killed.
Islamabad has rejected the charge and both countries have since exchanged gunfire and diplomatic barbs, as well as expelled citizens and ordered the main land border crossing shut.
Last week, Modi vowed to pursue those who carried out the attack in the tourist hotspot of Pahalgam and those who had supported it.
“I say to the whole world: India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer,” he said on Thursday.
“We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth”.
The bellicose statements have prompted worries of a rapid spiral into military action, with several nations, including neighbouring China, calling for restraint and dialogue.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in full.
Freedom fighters in the Indian-occupied area have waged an insurgency since 1989, seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan.
Indian police have issued wanted posters for three men accused of carrying out the attack — two alleged Pakistanis and an Indian — who they claim are members of the Lashkar-i-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organisation.
They have announced a two million rupee ($23,500) bounty for information leading to each man’s arrest and carried out sweeping detentions seeking anyone suspected of links to the alleged killers.
The worst attack in recent years in occupied Kashmir was at Pulwama in 2019, when a person rammed a car packed with explosives into a security forces convoy, killing 40 and wounding 35.
Indian fighter jets carried out air strikes on Pakistani territory 12 days later. The next day, Pakistan Air Force undertook strikes across the LoC from Pakistani airspace.
Iran has already offered to mediate and Saudi Arabia has said Riyadh was trying to “prevent an escalation”.
US President Donald Trump downplayed tensions, saying on Friday the dispute will get “figured out, one way or another”.