India steps up heat on Pakistan

Under pressure to craft an “appropriate response” following one of the biggest terrorist attacks on the Indian Army in Uri on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday conferred with the security and intelligence agencies to examine the possibility of calibrated surgical strikes on terror establishments close to the Line of Control (LoC).

Security agencies, sources said, have been asked to prepare a detailed blueprint laying down all the options and their possible outcomes. Once this is done, home minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will give a presentation to the Prime Minister.

Mr Modi met President Pranab Mukherjee and briefed him on the attack and the government’s deliberations. India has also initiated a simultaneous exercise to diplomatically isolate Pakistan on the world stage.

Making a statement during the 33rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), India on Monday said it firmly believes that a policy of “zero tolerance” against terrorism is as much an international obligation as it is a commitment to its own people.

“It is time that moral and material support provided by Pakistan to the perpetrators of this continuing heinous violence on the Indian soil should attract this council’s attention,” it said, and added, “India has been a long-suffering victim of terrorism emanating from our neighbourhood. The fundamental reason for disturbances in Kashmir is cross-border terrorism promoted by Pakistan which is so ruthless that it does not shy away from using civilians and even children by putting them in harm’s way, at the forefront of violent mobs instigated and supported by their handlers from across the border,” it said.

Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj will raise the Uri attack in which 18 soldiers have been killed not just to counter Pakistan Nawaz Sharif’s move to raise Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly, but also to garner support ahead of any action that India may initiate.

With crucial elections approaching in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, the Modi government is keen on “exposing” Pakistan and its relentless moves to spread terror across the border at the international stage.

Following the terror attack at the Uri Army camp, the unanimous view within the government is that there is need for strong retaliation which may not necessarily be immediate. The execution as well as timing of the operation, whether covert or by security forces, would have to be backed by a foolproof and well-thought-out strategy.

Though “enough is enough”, is the line of thinking, the Indian government will not rush into any “rash and aggressive” move.

“The government will examine all possibilities of retaliatory action against those behind incidents like the Uri terror attack and at the same time isolate Pakistan at global forum,” sources said.

“As for any retaliatory strike, India will decide the timing of how and when these actions have to be executed,” a senior intelligence official said.

Since Monday morning a series of meetings were held by the government’s top brass, which were attended by, among others, PM Modi, home minister, defence minister Manohar Parrikar, NSA Doval, finance minister Arun Jaitley, Army Chief Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag and other senior officials in the PMO, defence ministry and the home ministry.

Importantly, at one of the meetings chaired by the home minister, the intelligence agencies revealed that there was credible information that along with the attack on the Army camp there was also a plan for almost a simultaneous strike at a major Indian city. Luckily, the plan was thwarted as the terrorists could not manage logistical support from local modules.

Even while the Centre admitted that there were glaring lapses in the Uri incident it has directed security agencies to focus on measure to secure vital installations in the Valley and avoid such incidents in future. A complete overhaul of all security assets in Jammu and Kashmir has already been ordered.

Border guarding forces, including the Army, have been directed to maintain strong vigil across the country as terrorists may well use the Uri incident as a diversionary tactic to infiltrate from Bangladesh or Nepal.

Even within the Valley a re-deployment of security forces is being done. Additional reinforcements have been rushed to the LoC and the international border.