Pahalgam terror attack: 'PM Modi exercised a great deal of restraint,' says ex-US NSA John Bolton

Former US National Security Advisor (NSA) John Bolton said that he believes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has exercised a great deal of restraint in dealing with Pakistan. His comment came nearly 2 weeks after a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists. 

He further said that India set a way for the rest of the world as it tried everything to ensure a peaceful resolution to the long-standing conflict between New Delhi and Islamabad. As per the former US NSA, this could include Pakistan's all-weather ally China pressuring it to act against terror groups on its soil. 

"I think Prime Minister Narendra Modi exercised a great deal of restraint, having been through a similar episode in 2019," he said in an exclusive interview with NDTV. Bolton was referring to the attack in J&K's Pulwama weeks before the 2019 general election, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF soldiers. 

He also highlighted that 2019 was not the first time a terror attack happened in India, while adding that the Kashmir issue is a continuing source of tensions between the two countries. 

"2019 wasn't the first time a terror attack happened in India. It (the Kashmir issue) is a continuing source of tension and risk between two nuclear powers. But, and I hate to call it an 'opportunity', there is a moment we, i.e., the US and others, can urge both parties to say, once again, 'let us try and find a way to prevent this from happening in the future'."

Furthermore, John Bolton stated categorically that India is "entitled to retaliate and try to eliminate terrorist threats" to its sovereignty and people, but also urged New Delhi to exhaust all diplomatic measures before opting to go for a military counterstrike. 

Indians are expecting New Delhi to retaliate militarily ever since PM Modi gave "complete operational freedom" to the Armed Forces to avenge Pahalgam. 

In light of increasing tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has instructed several states to carry out extensive civil defense drills on May 7 to enhance readiness against potential threats.

Other key initiatives as per this directive include: air raid sirens (Ensuring sirens are ready to alert civilians quickly), civilian training (Teaching civilians and students protective measures during attacks), blackout protocols (Implementing immediate blackout procedures to reduce visibility during air raids), camouflaging installations (Early camouflage of vital infrastructure to shield against aerial surveillance), and evacuation plans (Updating and practicing evacuation strategies for orderly responses in emergencies).