High‑Level Consultation at Rashtrapati Bhavan Following the Pahalgam Terror Attack
The recent terror strike near Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir has jolted the nation, claiming the lives of several security personnel and once again underlining the persistent threat posed by cross‑border militancy. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, India’s political and security establishment moved swiftly to assess the situation and calibrate its response. On Wednesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan for a high‑level briefing and strategy session that lasted a little over an hour.
According to officials familiar with the meeting, Mr Shah presented the President with a detailed account of the attack, the sequence of events that led to the ambush of a convoy carrying Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, and the measures taken by security agencies in its aftermath. The Home Minister is understood to have outlined the immediate cordon‑and‑search operations launched in the dense forested stretches around Aru valley, the redeployment of additional troops to sensitive pockets along the Anantnag‑Pahalgam axis, and the decision to intensify night‑time drone surveillance. He also conveyed preliminary findings from the multi‑agency probe, which points to the involvement of a newly regrouped Lashkar‑e‑Taiba module that allegedly infiltrated across the Pir Panjal ranges earlier this month.
While internal security dominated the conversation, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar briefed President Murmu on the diplomatic dimension. New Delhi has already reached out to key partners in the United Nations Security Council to highlight Pakistan‑based terror outfits’ continuing role in fomenting violence in Kashmir. Dr Jaishankar is learnt to have shared the text of India’s “strongly worded demarche” delivered to Islamabad and apprised the President of planned briefings for envoys of the United States, France, and Russia later this week. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will also circulate fresh dossiers containing evidence of cross‑border facilitation to FATF member states ahead of the watchdog’s plenary in June.
Sources added that President Murmu emphasised the need to maintain a delicate balance between robust counter‑terror operations and the protection of civilian lives. She sought updates on the welfare of the injured personnel and instructed the Home Ministry to extend every possible assistance to the families of the fallen. In response, Mr Shah assured her that ex‑gratia payments had been approved under the ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ initiative and that state governments had been requested to provide additional support.
Strategically, the trio also reviewed the larger security grid in the Union Territory as the annual Amarnath Yatra, scheduled to commence in late June, draws near. Intelligence inputs suggest an uptick in infiltration attempts as the snow line recedes along traditional routes in Baramulla and Kupwara. Counter‑infiltration posts (CIP) of the Indian Army’s XV Corps have been put on heightened alert, and the Border Security Force has pressed in more thermal‑imaging cameras along the Line of Control.
Although Rashtrapati Bhavan has not issued a formal statement, officials characterised the meeting as “routine but thorough,” underscoring the government’s commitment to keep the country’s highest constitutional authority fully informed. The convergence of the Home and External Affairs portfolios in a single briefing also signals New Delhi’s intent to pursue a coordinated internal–external strategy: relentless pressure on the ground in Kashmir paired with a diplomatic offensive to further isolate Pakistan on the global stage.
With investigations still in the early stages, more high‑level reviews are expected in the coming days. For now, the message emanating from the capital is unambiguous: the Indian state remains resolute in its resolve to confront and defeat terrorism in all its manifestations.
