Modi doubles down on commitment to take ‘firm and decisive’ action against Pahalgam perpetrators

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with President of Angola, Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco during the joint press statement, at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Saturday, May 3, 2025
| Photo Credit: ANI

India is “committed” to take “firm and decisive action” against terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack and their supporters, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after talks with Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco here on Saturday (May 3, 2025).

Mr. Modi’s comments, more than 10 days after the attacks, where the terrorists responsible for gunning down 26 men have still not been apprehended, reiterate his former statements on a strong response for the attack.

 “We both agree that terrorism is the biggest threat to humanity,” Mr. Modi said as India and Angola exchanged 3 agreements, including a defence cooperation agreement. “We are committed to take firm and decisive action against the terrorists and those who support them. We thank Angola for their support in our fight against cross – border terrorism,” Mr. Modi added after talks with Mr. Lourenco who is also the current chair of the African Union.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to S. Jaishankar

 In a call with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also discussed the situation following the attacks and the “aggravation of India-Pakistan relations”. Echoing calls by the US, UK, European Union, Saudi Arabia and other countries, Mr. Lavrov said that India and Pakistan should resolve their differences “by political and diplomatic means”.

However, in what seemed to be a snub to Pakistan, that has threatened to put the Simla Agreement in abeyance, Mr. Lavrov said the differences should be resolved bilaterally “in accordance with the provisions of the Simla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999”. In a post on social media platform X about the call, Mr. Jaishankar said that the “perpetrators, backers and planners” of the Pahalgam attack must be brought to justice”. The government has said it believed this was “cross-border terrorism” with linkages to Pakistan.

 The conversation with Mr. Lavrov, that followed a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin called PM Modi is one of a series of calls where countries are calling for restraint in India’s response, even as government sources said PM Modi had given the service chiefs a “free hand” in planning the manner and timing of a military operation against Pakistan. In a sign that the situation remains the government’s top priority, the Ministry of Defence announced that Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth would represent India at Russia’s Victory Day Parade, after both PM Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are unable to travel there.

 According to the readout of the Lavrov-Jaishankar calls the Ministers also discussed upcoming meetings at the Summit level between Mr. Modi and Mr. Putin, which is due later this year and other meetings prior to it.

 On Friday, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas referred to the tensions as “alarming” and said she had spoken to Mr. Jaishankar and to Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to “show restraint and pursue dialogue to ease the situation”, adding that “Escalation helps no one”.

 Sidestepping a question about the international comments calling for “de-escalation”, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India appreciates the “solidarity and strong condemnation” of the Pahalgam terror attack from the global community as well as the “very strong sense of solidarity and support” New Delhi has received.