‘India will identify and punish every terrorist and their backers, Pahalgam will be avenged’: PM Modi announces from Madhubani, Bihar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi observed a moment of silence to pay tribute to those who were killed in the Pahalgam Terrorist Attack, in Bihar’s Madhubani on Thursday.

“Let us all stand together in this moment of grief and observe a one-minute silence. I urge everyone to observe silence for a couple of minutes to pay homage to the family members whom we lost in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22,” PM Modi said, addressing the public at National Panchayati Raj Day in Bihar’s Madhubani.

The Prime Minister also chanted ‘Om Shanti”.

Speaking on India’s retaliatory action, PM Modi announced, “Today, from the soil of Bihar, I say to the whole world, India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth. India’s spirit will not be broken by terrorism. Terrorism will not go unpunished, every effort will be made to ensure that justice is done. The entire nation is firm in this resolve. Everyone who believes in humanity is with us. I thank the people of various countries and their leaders who have stood with us in this time.”

“On April 22, terrorists killed innocent people of the country in J&K’s Pahalgam. The country is sad and in pain after this incident. We stand with the families of the victims. The terrorists will not be spared, strong action will be taken against them. The punishment will be significant and stringent, which these terrorists would have never even thought about”, PM Modi added.

Yesterday, on April 23, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that, in recognition of the seriousness of the terrorist attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) took the following measures, which included five key decisions.

1) The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect

2) The integrated checkpost Attari will be closed with immediate effect.

3) Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme

4) Defence, Military, Naval, and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared persona non grata. They have a week to leave India.

5) India will withdraw its own Defence, Navy, and Air advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled.

As many as 26 people were killed in the dastardly attack by terrorists on tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.

(With inputs from ANI)

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