PM Modi gives armed forces 'full operational freedom' for Pahalgam response: Sources

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the Indian armed forces full operational freedom to decide how, when, and where to respond to last week's deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, sources told India Today TV. The directive was issued during a high-level security meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence on Tuesday evening.

The meeting was convened in the wake of the terror strike — the deadliest civilian-targeted attack since the 26/11 Mumbai carnage — that left 26 people dead, mostly civilians.

Attending the 90-minute-long meeting were Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan. Also present were the heads of the three defence services — Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh.

Sources said Prime Minister Modi told officials during the meeting that “giving a strong response to terrorism” was his “firm national resolve” and expressed “full confidence in the professional capabilities of the Indian armed forces".

Crucially, the Prime Minister also gave the military a free hand to take all operational decisions — including “the mode of retaliation, the choice of targets, and the timing of the response,” the sources said.

The review came just a day before the Prime Minister is scheduled to chair a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) — the country’s top decision-making body on national security.

On Monday, Rajnath Singh had already briefed the Prime Minister about the evolving security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, as military leadership weighed punitive options against those responsible for the Pahalgam killings.

Speaking during his latest “Mann Ki Baat” broadcast, the Prime Minister made his position on the terror attack unambiguous. “The perpetrators and conspirators of the Pahalgam attack will be served with the harshest response,” he said.

He further stated, “The whole world stands with 140 crore Indians in our fight against terrorism. I once again assure the affected families that they will get justice, and justice will be done.”

India has also launched a diplomatic offensive in the aftermath of the Pahalgam carnage. It has announced a suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closed the operational land border crossing at Attari, and halted all visa services for Pakistani nationals.

(With inputs from Ashok Singhal)