New Delhi, May 6: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday for the second time in the past 48 hours, amid escalating tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives.

The back-to-back high-level consultations come just ahead of the nationwide mock security drills to be conducted on Wednesday, the first such exercise since the 1971 war, under the Home Ministry's directive to bolster civil defence preparedness in the event of a hostile attack.

Over the past few days, the Prime Minister has convened multiple meetings with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, significantly intensifying discussions around a military response to the Pahalgam incident.

The Resistance Front, a proxy outfit of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the April 22 attack, which stands as the deadliest terror strike in India since the 2019 Pulwama tragedy that killed 40 CRPF personnel.

Government sources indicate that in a crucial meeting last week, the Prime Minister granted the Indian armed forces full operational freedom to determine the nature, targets, and timing of India's military response. These developments signal a resolute shift in India's stance toward cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistani soil.

Further reinforcing India's preparedness, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh met PM Modi at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence on Sunday. The high-level meeting, which lasted for 45 minutes, was the second such engagement between the Prime Minister and the military leadership within 24 hours. A day earlier, the Prime Minister had held detailed discussions with Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff.

The government has consistently maintained that the Pahalgam attack was orchestrated with the direct involvement of Pakistan's deep state, which has long been accused of sponsoring cross-border terrorism.

In response to mounting evidence, India has initiated a series of strong diplomatic and strategic countermeasures. These include revoking visas for Pakistani nationals, halting cultural and trade exchanges, deporting Pakistani citizens from Indian soil, and suspending the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty.

India has also closed the Attari-Wagah border crossing and shut its airspace to Pakistani commercial aircraft.

Indian authorities have said there is concrete input linking the assault to terror outfits supported by the Pakistani establishment.

The ongoing ceasefire violations along the Line of Control, with unprovoked firing from Pakistani posts for the past 12 days, have only added to the already charged atmosphere. The Indian Army has responded proportionately to these breaches.

Prime Minister Modi, in his first public remarks following the Pahalgam tragedy, struck a stern note, declaring, "The terrorists, their handlers, and their backers will be chased and hunted down to the ends of the earth."

(IANS)

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