Modi Grants Armed Forces ‘Full Freedom’ to Respond to Pahalgam Attack

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday gave India’s armed forces “complete operational freedom” to determine the nature, timing, and targets of any response to the Pahalgam attack, signalling a potentially escalatory stance as tensions with Pakistan surge.

Chairing a high-level security meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, Modi declared that the country’s resolve to crush terrorism was unshakable, according to senior government officials.

“They have complete operational freedom,” a government source quoted the prime minister as saying, referring to military leadership.

The meeting, also attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, came as India considers its strategic options following the assault in Pahalgam, where 26 civilians, largely tourists, were killed.

Modi, without naming Pakistan directly, said those behind the attack — and those sheltering them — would be pursued “to the ends of the earth” and dealt “punishment beyond their imagination.”

The rhetoric marks a sharp intensification in India’s posture, as New Delhi continues to blame Islamabad for the attack — a claim Pakistan has denied.