New Delhi: Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Sunday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the backdrop of increasing tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Air chief held a meeting with PM Modi, sources said without giving further details.
Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi met the prime minister on Saturday and briefed him on the overall situation in the critical sea lanes in the Arabian Sea.
The meeting between the Air Force Chief and Prime Minister Modi took place days after the Prime Minister Modi chaired a meeting, which was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan and three service chiefs. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was also present at the meeting.
A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was held a day after the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed.
The government has affirmed India’s national resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism. It has said that the terrorists responsible for the attack and the conspirators behind it will face severe punishment.
The government has given armed forces complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of India’s response.The government had convened an all-party meeting after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Opposition parties have expressed their full support for any action taken by the government against the pepetrators of the terror attack.In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out.
It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.
The government has announced a series of measures, including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support to cross-border terrorism.
Pakistan has issued a series of provocative threats, including nuclear retaliation, in response to speculation about possible Indian military action following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia warned of using the “full spectrum of power” if India strikes, citing alleged leaked plans.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also threatened to target Indian infrastructure on the Indus River, calling water diversion an act of war. Meanwhile, other Pakistani officials invoked nuclear missile capabilities and warned of a “full-scale war” if India moves ahead with its punitive measures, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and a sweeping economic and airspace ban.
In a strong response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, cancelled all visas issued to Pakistani nationals, and banned imports and transit of goods from Pakistan. Diplomatic ties have been sharply downgraded, backchannel talks frozen, and a NOTAM has barred Pakistani aircraft from Indian airspace until May 24. These steps come after Indian agencies established links between the attackers and Pakistan-based terror outfits. Pakistan, in turn, has threatened to suspend bilateral pacts and warned of “full-scale war” if water supplies are restricted.
