PM Modi Holds High-Level Meeting After Pahalgam Attack, Gives Armed Forces Free Hand
After the tragic terror attack in Pahalgam where several Indian tourists lost their lives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a high-level emergency meeting on Tuesday. Top officials including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and the chiefs of all three armed forces — Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, and Air Force Chief Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh — were present at the meeting held at PM Modi’s residence.
This meeting was a direct response to the brutal Pahalgam terrorist incident. During the session, PM Modi gave the Indian armed forces a “free hand” — meaning they now have the full freedom to choose how, when, and where to respond to this attack. They no longer need to take prior approvals from any government department to take action.
Dwivedi Ji, barbaad kardo dushman ko pic.twitter.com/TJ93kYtOaN
— Riccha Dwivedi (@RicchaDwivedi) April 29, 2025
According to sources, this attack seems to be a reaction to the successful elections recently held in Jammu and Kashmir, and the region’s increasing focus on peace and economic progress.
In addition to empowering the military, the Indian government has also taken several diplomatic steps to put pressure on Pakistan. These include:
Suspending the Indus Water Treaty between the two countries,
Cancelling visas and asking all Pakistani nationals to leave India,
Downgrading diplomatic ties further by reducing staff at Pakistani missions,
Ordering top Pakistani officials in India to return to Islamabad.
These strong steps reflect India’s serious stance against terrorism and its determination to send a clear message to those supporting or sheltering such acts.
