New Delhi/Singapore June 2: The Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier security forum, witnessed a rare yet pointed exchange between military leaders of India and Pakistan, amid escalating tensions following the recent Pahalgam terror attack.

According to high-level sources present at the event, India’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Anil Chauhan, sent an unambiguous message that New Delhi’s patience with cross-border terrorism has reached its limit.

General Chauhan, speaking in a closed-door session on regional security threats, made a forceful reference to India’s recent Operation Sindoor—a precision military campaign targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and across the border.

"This operation reflects a decisive shift in India’s posture," sources said, quoting General Chauhan. "A new red line has been drawn. The era of strategic restraint in the face of terrorism is over."

Sources say the Indian general stopped short of naming Pakistan directly but made clear references to its long-standing support for proxy terror elements.

“We have endured over two decades of proxy war. The toll on civilian lives, our soldiers, and our economy is unacceptable,” Chauhan reportedly said.

“Operation Sindoor was not just a tactical response, it was a strategic signal.”

The comments came during concurrent sessions where Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, took a more familiar route, calling for “conflict resolution” over Kashmir and warning of the risks of escalation.

In a panel discussion on crisis-management mechanisms, Mirza argued that the absence of sustained dialogue could lead to uncontrollable conflict.

He reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding position that the Kashmir issue must be resolved “in accordance with UN resolutions and the will of the people.”

However, Indian defence officials dismissed Mirza’s remarks as “predictable deflection,” pointing to Islamabad’s continued patronage of terror outfits.

“While Pakistan lectures on peace, it shelters those who orchestrate mass killings like Pahalgam,” said one official present in the Indian delegation.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in direct response to the April 22 terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. The four-day operation, involving cross-border precision strikes on at least nine terror launchpads, ended on May 10 after multiple nations, including the U.S., U.K., and UAE, were briefed by India on its objectives and outcomes.

General Chauhan, according to sources, underscored that India’s actions were “limited, lawful, and targeted,” aimed at ensuring long-term deterrence. If Pakistan does not learn the right lessons from this, the consequences next time may be far more severe, he reportedly warned.

Security analysts attending the summit noted that while Pakistan attempted to internationalise the Kashmir issue once again, India projected itself as a responsible power enforcing hard red lines against terrorism.

--IANS

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