New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called on the international community to back India’s robust anti-terrorism efforts over Pakistan’s complicity, declaring in his address to the Rajya Sabha today, “Indian Armed Forces are capable of taking effective action against terrorism on either side of the border. Pakistan witnessed it during Operation Sindoor, but it is stubborn. Therefore, it is necessary for the world to put every kind of strategic, diplomatic and economic pressure on Pakistan to end terrorism.” This appeal framed a comprehensive parliamentary discussion in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, where Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah detailed India’s response to the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terrorist attack, which claimed 26 lives, including 25 Indian citizens and one Nepali national. Through ‘Operation Sindoor’ and ‘Operation Mahadev,’ India targeted terrorists affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF), marking a shift to a proactive stance against terrorism.
The Pahalgam attack, executed in the Baisaran Valley by three Pakistani terrorists—Suleman alias Faizal Jatt, Hamza Afghani, and Zibran—was condemned by Shah as a brutal act targeting civilians based on religion. Shah arrived in Srinagar at 5:30 pm on April 22, 2025, hours after the 1 pm attack, and convened a security meeting on April 23 with the Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Jammu and Kashmir Police to prevent the terrorists’ escape to Pakistan. On May 22, 2025, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) received human intelligence pinpointing the terrorists in the Dachigam forest area. Over the next two months, security forces conducted foot patrols in freezing, high-altitude terrain, using advanced signal-capturing equipment to track communications with Pakistan-based handlers. On July 22, sensors confirmed their location, enabling ‘Operation Mahadev.’ On July 28, the Army’s 4 Para unit, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police neutralised the three TRF operatives, affiliated with LeT, in a firefight near Dachigam National Park. Suleman, an ‘A’ category LeT commander, was linked to attacks in Pahalgam and Gagangir, while Afghani and Zibran were also ‘A’ category terrorists responsible for the Baisaran killings.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), tasked with investigating after LeT and TRF claimed responsibility, interrogated 1,055 individuals, including tourists and local workers, for over 3,000 hours. This led to the arrest of Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar on June 22, 2025, for harbouring the terrorists. Their mother identified the slain terrorists, and forensic tests at Chandigarh’s Forensic Science Laboratory on July 29 confirmed that two AK-47 rifles and one M4 carbine recovered matched the Pahalgam attack’s cartridges. Shah highlighted evidence of the terrorists’ Pakistani origins, including Pakistani voter IDs and chocolates, refuting claims by a former Home Minister who questioned their provenance, accusing him of giving Pakistan a “clean chit” and asking, “What will he gain by saving Pakistan?”
‘Operation Sindoor,’ authorised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, targeted the terrorists’ cross-border infrastructure. On May 6 and 7, 2025, Indian forces struck nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), neutralising at least 125 terrorists, including LeT and TRF trainers, without civilian casualties. At 1:22 am on May 7, India’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) informed Pakistan’s DGMO that the strikes targeted only terrorist infrastructure, invoking self-defence rights. Pakistan’s retaliation on May 8 damaged Indian civilian and military sites, including a Gurudwara and a temple, causing civilian deaths. On May 9, the Indian Air Force struck 11 Pakistani airbases, crippling their air defence systems. A ceasefire was agreed on May 10 after Pakistan’s DGMO requested it. Shah noted that Pakistan’s senior officers attending terrorists’ funerals exposed its state-sponsored terrorism, reinforcing Singh’s call for global pressure.
Singh described ‘Operation Sindoor’ as a testament to India’s military capability, national resolve, morality, and political acumen, transforming India from a “soft country” to a “strong nation.” He labelled terrorism an “epidemic” threatening peace, development, and prosperity, and called Pakistan the “Father of Global Terrorism” in contrast to India’s “Mother of Democracy.” Criticising Pakistan’s sheltering of terrorists like Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind behind the Pahalgam attack, and Masood Azhar, Singh condemned its role as Vice-Chair of the UN Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Panel, likening it to “making the cat guard the milk.” He urged halting foreign funding to Pakistan, equating it to supporting terrorism, and suggested Pakistan seek India’s assistance. Singh noted that ‘Operation Sindoor’ was paused, not ended, and expressed confidence that PoK would reintegrate with India, stating, “The day is not far when the people of PoK will become a part of India again.”
Shah highlighted India’s anti-terrorism progress, noting a 70 per cent reduction in terrorist incidents from 7,217 (2004–2014) to 2,150 (2015–2025), an 80 per cent decrease in civilian deaths (1,770 to 357), and a 123 per cent increase in terrorist eliminations. The abolition of Article 370 dismantled Kashmir’s terrorist ecosystem, reducing stone-pelting incidents from 2,654 annually to zero and eliminating Pakistan-sponsored strikes over the past three years. The government banned organisations like TRF, Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen, and Hurriyat, jailed 75 terrorist supporters, cancelled their passports and government contracts, and established special Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act courts, registering 2,260 cases and confiscating 374 properties between 2022 and 2025. Terrorists are now buried at the site of their death, with no funeral processions allowed. A 98.3 per cent voter turnout in recent Panchayat elections reflects reduced fear in Kashmir.
Singh detailed defence sector advancements, with the budget rising from Rs 2,53,346 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 6,21,941 crore in 2024-25, and exports increasing from Rs 686 crore to Rs 23,622 crore, targeting Rs 50,000 crore by 2029. Indigenous manufacturing of BrahMos, Agni, and Prithvi missiles, supported by emergency procurement powers, has strengthened India’s self-reliance.
Both ministers critiqued historical decisions shaping India’s security challenges. Shah attributed PoK’s existence to Jawaharlal Nehru’s 1948 ceasefire, despite Sardar Patel’s objections, and the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, which allocated 80 per cent of India’s water to Pakistan. He noted the 1965 return of Haji Pir and the 1971 Shimla Agreement’s failure to secure PoK, despite controlling 15,000 square kilometres of Pakistani territory and holding 93,000 prisoners of war. Shah criticised Nehru’s dismissal of Aksai Chin’s value in 1962 and his role in securing China’s UN Security Council seat over India’s, citing page 231 of Volume 29 of the “Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru.” The opposition’s 2004 repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) was linked to attacks like the 2006 Mumbai train blasts (187 deaths), 2008 Mumbai attacks (246 deaths), and others, totalling about 1,000 deaths from 2005–2011. Shah noted that terrorists like Dawood Ibrahim (1986), Syed Salahuddin (1993), and others fled during opposition rule, accusing them of defending Pakistan, including through a former Home Minister’s remarks and meetings with Chinese officials during the Doklam standoff.
Immediate policy measures followed the Pahalgam attack. The Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Modi on April 23 and 30, 2025, suspended the Indus Water Treaty, closed the Attari check post, revoked SAARC visas for Pakistanis, and reduced Pakistani High Commission staff from 55 to 30. Shah emphasised that, unlike past governments that sent dossiers, the Modi government demolishes terrorist hideouts, reflecting a zero-tolerance policy. He criticised the opposition’s response, stating, “Upon hearing the news of the terrorists being killed, there should have been a wave of happiness even in the opposition, but instead, their faces appear dark with gloom.”
The parliamentary discussions underscored India’s proactive anti-terrorism strategy, contrasting it with past policies. Shah and Singh reaffirmed India’s commitment to national security and sovereignty, presenting ‘Operation Sindoor’ and ‘Operation Mahadev’ as robust responses to the Pahalgam attack by LeT and TRF, reinforcing Singh’s global appeal to isolate Pakistan and support India’s efforts to eradicate terrorism.
– global bihari bureau
