Pak's Drones, Missiles Got Scattered Like Straws: PM Modi

Sending out a strong message in his first address after the ceasefire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that instead of helping India combat terror after the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, Pakistan attacked the country. The world, he said, saw Pakistan's missiles and drones being scattered like straws by India's air defence system. 

Referring to India's precision strikes in the early hours of May 7, PM Modi said India struck key terror infrastructure bases in Pakistan, including the headquarters of the Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke and the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur, which he called the "global universities of terror". 

“More than 100 terrorists were killed in these strikes. Many masters ('aaka') of terror, who had been conspiring against India, had been roaming freely in Pakistan for nearly three decades and India finished them off in one stroke. After this action, clouds of disappointment engulfed Pakistan and it became desperate ('baukhla gaya tha'). In this desperation, it took another audacious step: instead of helping India in its fight against terror, Pakistan attacked India,” the Prime Minister said. Click here for India Pakistan Ceasefire Live Updates

"Pakistan targeted our schools, colleges, gurdwaras, temples and homes of civilians... our military installations... but this just led to the country being exposed. The world saw that Pakistan's drones and missiles got scattered like straws... India's air defence system destroyed them in the sky. Pakistan had prepared to attack India at its border, but India struck the heart of Pakistan. India's missiles and drones harmed airbases that Pakistan was very proud of," he thundered. 

The Prime Minister said Pakistan had not anticipated the destruction wrought by India in just three days, and this led to the country looking for ways to save itself. Pakistan, he said, began making appeals all over the world to help it get relief from rising tensions. It was in this context that the Pakistan Director General of Military Operations reached out to his Indian counterpart on Saturday afternoon. 

New Paradigm

"Operation Sindoor is now India's established policy in the fight against terrorism, marking a decisive shift in India's strategic approach", the PM said, declaring that a new normal had been set for tackling terrorism.

Outlining three key pillars of India's security doctrine, PM Modi said the first is 'Decisive Retaliation', in which any terrorist attack will be met with a strong response and India will retaliate on its own terms, targeting the heart of terror.

Neutralising a key part of Pakistan's military strategy, the Prime Minister said the second pillar is 'No Tolerance for Nuclear Blackmail'. India, he said, will not be intimidated by nuclear threats and any terrorist hub thinking it is safe because of this will find itself at the receiving end of India's decisive strikes.

The third key pillar is 'No Distinction Between Terror Sponsors and Terrorists': India will no longer see terrorist leaders and the governments that shelter them as separate entities. Pointing to evidence of Pakistan's policy of state-sponsored terror, the Prime Minister said senior officials from the country's military attended the funerals of eliminated terrorists.

'Not A Conclusion'

Reiterating India's position, PM Modi said that the understanding on Saturday was arrived at after Pakistan gave an assurance that it would cease all terrorist activities and hostilities against India. The suspension of India's counter-operations, he emphasised, is not a conclusion, and New Delhi will keep watch on every move made by Pakistan in the days to come and ensure that they align with these commitments.