PM Modi to Chair Key Cabinet Meetings Amid Tensions over Pahalgam Terror Attack

NDEW DELHI:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to chair two high-level cabinet meetings on Wednesday, one with the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and another with the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), as India takes decisive steps in response to the devastating terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, most of them tourists.

This will be the first Union Cabinet meeting since the April 22 attack, with sources indicating that it will follow the second meeting of the CCS. Following these, a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is also expected, as per reports.

The CCS, which met previously on April 23, condemned the barbaric attack, with India already having implemented a range of punitive measures against Pakistan. These include the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closing the Attari border, canceling visas for Pakistani nationals, blocking several Pakistani YouTube channels and X handles, and downgrading diplomatic ties by reducing embassy staff.

During Wednesday’s CCS meeting, PM Modi will discuss India’s next steps, including potential military options to avenge the attack. The meeting will also aim to solidify India’s response to Pakistan’s involvement in fostering terrorism.

In the first CCS meeting following the attack, India resolved to bring the perpetrators to justice and hold their sponsors accountable. The meeting further directed all Indian forces to remain on the highest level of vigilance.

The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) meeting, scheduled for later, is equally significant. The CCPA was last convened in 2019 after the Pulwama terror attack to assess the security environment and plan countermeasures. That meeting led to the revocation of Pakistan’s Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status and was followed by Indian Air Force airstrikes on terrorist camps in Balakot, Pakistan.

The CCPA is responsible for reviewing and making decisions on important political and economic matters, particularly during times of heightened national security concerns.

In addition to these meetings, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan convened a high-level review meeting on Tuesday, involving heads of key paramilitary forces, to assess the evolving internal security situation. The focus of the meeting was to enhance border security, bolster counter-terrorism measures, and strengthen intelligence-sharing protocols, given the tensions following the Pahalgam attack.

On April 22, terrorists attacked a group of unsuspecting tourists in the picturesque Baisaran valley of Pahalgam, resulting in the tragic loss of 26 lives, including a Nepali national. Among the victims, Hindu men were reportedly selectively targeted. Authorities are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to investigate the attack and ensure swift justice for the victims.