PM Modi holds key meeting with defence secretary amid rising India-Pakistan tensions over Pahalgam 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Monday amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. The meeting marks the third high-level engagement between the Prime Minister and top defence officials within just two days.

Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, had met Prime Minister Modi on Sunday to discuss the security situation in light of the April 22 attack that killed 26 civilians. The Air Chief’s meeting came less than 24 hours after Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi briefed the Prime Minister on maritime security, particularly the status of sea lanes in the Arabian Sea.

There was no official word yet on the content of the Monday meeting between the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary Singh.

India has vowed to punish those responsible. In a high-level meeting last Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi granted the armed forces "complete operational freedom" to determine the mode, timing, and targets of India's response. He also reaffirmed the country’s resolve to deliver a "crushing blow to terrorism."

India has since launched a series of retaliatory measures against Pakistan. These include suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting the land border crossing at Attari, and downgrading diplomatic ties. Pakistan, in turn, has closed its airspace to Indian airlines and halted all trade with India, including through third countries.

In the latest set of punitive actions, New Delhi imposed a total ban on imports from Pakistan citing "national security and public policy." Additionally, New Delhi suspended all postal services from Pakistan and banned the entry of Pakistani-flagged ships into Indian ports.