Indian armed forces successfully hitting terror training centres and launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir by carrying out late-night precision strikes is a strong signal by India to the world that the country is determined to decisively exercise its right to protect its people from any form of terror attack. The precision strikes hitting directly on targets chosen based on credible intelligence demonstrated the capability of Indian armed forces to carry out focused and measured cross-border operations. The operation aptly codenamed “Operation Sindoor” to retaliate against the dastardly and cowardly terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22 by Pakistani and Pakistan-trained terrorists left the Pakistan Armed Forces rattled. It also dealt a body blow to Pakistan-based terror outfits Laskar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen, who have been provided safe havens by the enemy country to set up bases and indoctrinate and train Islamist radicals to carry out cross-border terror activities in India. The Indian armed forces also demonstrated their professionalism and restraint by remaining focused on precision targets of terror infrastructure and refraining from targeting any Pakistani military facilities despite extreme provocation by Pakistan Army Chief and the country’s political leadership. The ball is now in Pakistan’s court to decide whether it would dare to climb the escalation ladder and challenge the might of Indian armed forces and a powerful nation which is solidly behind the armed forces after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave them a free hand to decide the timing and manner of India’s decisive and calibrated response. Security experts have pointed out that the Pakistan Army will be desperate to carryout retaliatory strike to cover up the loss of face on the world stage, but any misadventure by it to challenge India will prove costly for Pakistan, as Indian armed forces are fully prepared for any escalation. India carrying out the missile attacks on terror infrastructure inside Pakistan well ahead of the nationwide civil defence mock drill was a clever deception to surprise the Pakistan Army and their political leadership and expose their empty rhetoric. Nevertheless, Pakistan being a rogue state, India remaining fully prepared is crucial to thwart its evil design of targeting the civilian population in India. People taking part in the mock drill and following every directive issued by the government is crucial to reduce civilian casualties and thwart air raids by the enemy. Striking terror infrastructure in Pakistan in one operation is not going to end cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, but India has delivered a powerful message that the neighbouring country must be prepared to face bigger strikes on such terror training centres and launchpads if it continues to back the terror outfits and allow its territory to be used for anti-India activities. India remaining steadfast in isolating Pakistan in world fora is critical to push it to the edge and realise the cost of sponsoring terrorism. World leaders who have called on India and Pakistan to restrain after India carried out “Operation Sindoor” must tell Pakistan to stop sponsoring cross-border terrorism so that united pressure is mounted for ending all forms of terrorism and countries backing terror acts are isolated. World leaders must take note of assertion that its actions are “focused and non-escalatory” in nature and prevail upon Pakistan to refrain from any escalatory action and proactively dismantle all terror infrastructure if they are serious about the maintenance of regional peace in South Asia.
More than 350 civilians were killed, about 800 were injured and over 600 security personnel were killed, more than 1400 injured in cross-border terrorist activities by Pakistan-backed terror outfits and their front outfits operating in India over the past decade. It is high time India taught Pakistan a lesson to stop sponsoring cross-border terrorism by reining in its Inter-Services Intelligence officers and army generals having nexus with terror outfits. Along with securing the country’s western frontier, India must remain alert against desperate moves by ISI to exploit the fluid situation in Bangladesh and the rise of Islamist radicals in the neighbouring country to carry out cross-border terrorism and establish terror training camps and launchpads to destabilise the Northeast region. China calling India’s strike in Pakistan “regrettable” while maintaining that “it opposes all forms of terrorism” is self-contradictory and keeps alive the speculation of China getting involved in the event Pakistan decides to ascend the escalation ladder. India securing the Northeastern frontier also requires intensifying operations to bust sleeper cells of Islamic terror outfits and mobilising people against secessionist outfits in the region. India’s punitive action in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack is a strong warning to Pakistan against escalation. Pakistan, already grappling with the worst economic crisis, which will precipitate further after India suspends the Indus Water Treaty regulating water release and bans trade, must realise the unimaginable cost of sponsoring cross-border terrorism before it is too late.