Ceasefire Announced, But India's Message To Pakistan Is Clear: We'll Act When Needed

News18

10-05-2025

Last Updated:
Hours before the ceasefire was announced, India had warned that any future terrorist attack would be treated as an 'Act of War' and responded to accordingly
India and Pakistan may have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, but not before New Delhi made it clear to the world: it will not seek anyone's permission to defend its people, top government sources said.
The Indian response served as a global signal — terrorists and their masterminds will find no safe haven. Hours before the ceasefire was announced, India had warned that any future terrorist attack would be treated as an Act of War and responded to accordingly — a direct message to Pakistan to rein in its actions going forward.
India's massive retaliatory strike — codenamed Operation Sindoor — targeted deep positions inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir to avenge the brutal killing of 26 civilians in the Pahalgam attack. 'The operation was an absolute success," government sources confirmed, with Indian forces neutralising nine high-value terror launchpads.
These were not limited to border regions. India struck targets hundreds of kilometres inside Pakistani territory, including in Bahawalpur and across Punjab province, both considered key military strongholds. During the operation, Indian forces successfully jammed or bypassed Pakistan's air defence systems, leaving them exposed for up to 23 minutes — a significant tactical advantage.
Several top terrorists were killed in the strikes, including individuals on India's most wanted list. Entire leadership structures of multiple terror modules were eliminated in a single night.
Operation Sindoor was not just about the Pahalgam massacre — it also avenged past terror attacks. The targets included camps used to train Ajmal Kasab, David Headley, and others involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the IC-814 hijacking. For long, these terrorists operated with impunity under Pakistani protection. That era, sources said, has ended.
India also deployed non-military measures to reinforce its strategy and consolidate international support. Among them was the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty — a move with serious consequences. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had famously said in 2016, 'blood and water cannot flow together," when India first signalled its intent to reassess the treaty after a major terror attack.
As the lower riparian, Pakistan depends on the Indus River system for 80 per cent of its 16 million hectares of farmland and 93 per cent of its total water use — supporting 237 million people and fuelling nearly a quarter of its GDP through key crops like wheat, rice, and cotton.
In parallel, India imposed a total ban on Pakistani artists, halting performances, film screenings, music launches, and streaming content. This cultural blockade added further economic and symbolic pressure on Pakistan.
These coordinated kinetic and non-kinetic actions, officials said, imposed tangible diplomatic and economic costs, deepened Pakistan's isolation, and reaffirmed India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.
First Published:
May 10, 2025, 19:29 IST