Pahalgam terror attack: Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh leaves his residence and heads to 7 LKM, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, for a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security. The high-level meeting is likely to discuss the recent security situation in Jammu and Kashmir following the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Cabinet Committee on Security discusses and debates defence policy, expenditure, and all matters of national security for India. It is the highest decision-making body for appointing heads of national security agencies, as well.
The meeting included top leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who were part of the committee. The National Security Advisor, Cabinet Secretary, and Defence Secretary also attend the meetings.
Earlier in the morning, Defence Minister issued a chilling warning to the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack and the “actors behind the scenes”, saying they will soon receive a “loud and clear” response from India.
“Yesterday, in Pahalgam, targeting a particular religion, terrorists executed a cowardly act, in which we lost many innocent lives… I want to assure the countrymen that the government will take every necessary step. We will not only reach the perpetrators of this act but also the actors behind the scenes… The accused will soon see a loud and clear response, I want to assure the country,” said Singh.
Complete Shut Down; First Time Since 2019
For the first time since the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, the Kashmir Valley observed a complete hartal (shutdown) with shops and educational institutions closed and traffic off the roads on Wednesday to protest the dastardly terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam that left at least 26 dead on Tuesday afternoon.
The tourist destination of Pahalgam resembled a ghost town with businesses closing their shutters and no vehicles plying. Srinagar, including the old city, wore a deserted look. “All markets were closed in the city’s business hub of Lal Chowk. This is the first time in years that such a hartal is being observed in Kashmir, particularly after the Narendra Modi-led Centre’s crackdown on Kashmiri separatists,” said Abdul Hameed, a local resident and street food seller.
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