Rs 14 crore to Masood Azhar, Anti-Pakistan protest in PoK, and India's timely warning

India's Joint Chiefs of Staff General Upendra Dwivedi warned Pakistan to stop supporting cross-border terrorism so as not to force India to adopt sterner measures, even to the length of erasing the nation from earth. Dwivedi slyly hinted that the forces under him are prepared enough to carry out Operation Sindoor 02.

Dwivedi’s warning, while addressing soldiers in Anoopgarh on the Rajasthan border, must be considered to have multiple layers of meaning. "We are fully prepared. Soldiers should be ready, God willing, the opportunity will come soon." These words of the Joint Chiefs of Staff can be considered a precursor to the events to come. The same tenor in response was expressed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who, the other day, warned of the Pakistani army's attempt to enter Sir Creek, a 100-kilometre-long marshland on the Gujarat border.

Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, the chief of the Indian Air Force, said at a press conference in New Delhi that 12 military aircraft, including Pakistani F-16 fighter jets, were shot down during Operation Sindoor.

“Pakistan's claims about India suffering a heavy blow are fiction. Five Chinese-made JF-17 aircraft were also among those shot down.” The Air Chief Marshal even boasted of having clear evidence to vindicate his claims. After Operation Sindoor, there were reports that terrorist groups in Pakistan had shifted their centres to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. Union Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier revealed that the Pakistani government was providing financial assistance to Masood Azhar, the head of the Jaish-e-Mohammed organisation, to revive the outfit. Pakistan had given Rs 14 crore to Masood as an initial tranche.

Pakistan is diverting aid from the International Monetary Fund to building terrorist camps. IMF aid to Pakistan is becoming an indirect funding source for terrorism. India abstained from the vote as part of its opposition to the IMF's proposal to provide $2.3 billion in new loans to Pakistan. However, the plot took a change after slogans were raised in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by locals for its merger with India. Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has repeatedly stated that PoK will become part of India without any military action. Thousands of people are protesting in the streets of Rawalkot, the main city of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, demanding independence from Pakistan. The protests are a result of years of neglect, severe unemployment, and a lack of basic facilities. Pakistan would never risk losing PoK, as it would rob the terrorists of a safe haven to sneak into India without dropping much sweat.

Pakistan may take various steps against India to divert attention from the current protest happening on the border. The warning from the Joint Chiefs of Staff is well timed, knowing that the crack has already happened from within.