Enough is enough; Islamabad faces global wrath

It is a proud moment for India as we have avenged the death of 26 innocent lives, brutally killed by Pakistan terrorists. It took us a fortnight to take the kinetic action, as it was not one attack but nine surgical strikes that our defence forces were planning at their training camps. Eventually, the cost of the sindoor of each of the Hindu widows in the Pahalgam attack, has been taken care of by our brave soldiers.

The message must be clear to the Pakistani establishment-India knows how to retaliate. We are far ahead in military might, but owing to our sensitivities, we exercise caution and patience.

Pakistan was in panic, knowing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not sit quiet, but with as many as 9 surgical strikes with accurate precision, razing down the headquarters, hide-outs and the training camps of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaishe-e-Mohammad at one go, is an incredible task of our defence forces.

India has proved not only to Pakistan but also to the global community that where there is a will, there is a way. They succeeded in killing only terrorists. No military targets, or civilians, were. The bold and brave move should act as a deterrence to Pakistan Army, but it looks unlikely. The global community, too, has comprehended that India will not be a silent spectator, or be at the receiving-end from the terrorists any longer. Now, the ball is in Pakistan’s court, whether they want to escalate the war or realise their mistake. From few casualties, they will face thousands of more dead bodies, if they don’t restrain themselves. A full-fledged war against India will only bleed them further, with no gains.

Modi has shown that we can hit them hard not only militarily but economically and diplomatically, too. The bankrupt Pakistan has already been shown the mirror. It was in the grey list of FATF for several years and it was only in 2023, when its name was removed from it. India is again engaged with European nations to include Pakistan in the grey list. It was not India, but Pakistan, which had, in fact, initiated the war-like situation by killing the tourists, who had come to Pahalgam for enjoyment. They wanted to create communal tension in Kashmir by killing the tourists from one community, but ironically, the country got more united than ever before with the Muslims coming forward to save the victims and holding candlelight marches, condemning the crime, declaring that “not in our name.” All the Opposition parties are rallying behind Prime Minister Modi, who has proved that his chest is indeed 56 inches! Though diplomatically, India had apprised the friendly nations like the United States, Russia and Israel, it wanted to exercise caution and act on its own. By targeting the pointed targets of the terrorists, it has displayed its military valour and sensitivity towards humanity. India had to avenge the killings at any cost, and this was the best way to do so.

Modi has the full support of the 140 crore people, who are standing by him like a rock. They know that he has the capability of taking appropriate decisions at an appropriate time.

What next? It will be better for Pakistan to keep quiet and stop harbouring terrorists on its soil. If not, it will have to pay a heavy price or face the consequence of a fourth surgical strike, where the remaining shelters of the terrorists will also be razed to the ground.

(The writer is a Delhi-based senior journalist, political analyst and commentator. Views are personal.)