PM issues stern message to Pakistan

In one of the strongest-possible message to Pakistan, prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday assured the nation that the perpetrators of the Pulwama terror attack will not go unpunished and every drop of blood of slain soldiers would be avenged.

"Whom to punish, where to punish, when to punish and how to punish, and what type of punishment needs to be meted out will be decided by our jawans.... our armed forces have been given a free hand," Modi said referring to Thursday's suicide attack in Pulwama on a convoy of the CRPF.

The sacrifices of our jawans and the tears of their families will not go waste, the prime minister said, adding that "new India" would not tolerate such acts and would give a befitting response.

The strong statement to Islamabad and indication of response to Pakistan-based terror groups came while he addressed a couple of government functions in Maharashtra - in Yavatmal in Vidarbha region and Dhule in Khandesh region.

Without naming Pakistan, Modi said: "The neighbouring country came into existence after Partition....today they shelter terror... they are on verge of bankruptcy. They have become synonymous with terrorism," he said even as the all-party meeting was underway in New Delhi chaired by union home minister Rajnath Singh.

"The sin that they committed would be punished," he said.

"The nation understands the anger among the security forces, and especially among the CRPF personnel, be brave and trust our jawans," he said.

Modi made it clear that "those who make bombs and foment terror" would not be allowed to sleep. "Our forces have shown earlier what they are capable of," he said in an indirect reference to the surgical strike of the Indian Army post the Uri incident.

"Our forces won't leave them...let them hide wherever they are....our forces will flush them out...every drop of blood of our slain jawans will be avenged," he said, in a warning to Jaish-e-Mohammed and its chief Masood Azhar, who are responsible for the Pulwama strike on CRPF.