February 14, 2019 when the entire world celebrated the day of love, India witnessed one of the cruelest act of hatred and terror ever. Yesterday, India was shook by the news of a brutal terror attack that martyred nearly 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. The terrorists of Pakistan sponsored JeM (Jaish-E-Mohammed) targeted a convoy of our army men with a car bomb at Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Reportedly, the terrorists used a Mahindra Scorpio carrying more than 350 kg of explosives to execute this inhuman attack.

This terror attack is being marked particularly dangerous because it was a huge “security breach” since the whole area was sanitized for the caravan to have a safe journey.

The scale, extent, and brutality of this terror strike has in fact exceeded even that of the Uri attack on September 2016 which led to India’s response in the form of Surgical Strikes.

The BJP government has given a statement and assured the people of India that appropriate response will be given and the death of our soldiers will be avenged.

While India waits to see how and when the government will take necessary actions against the terrorists and their sponsor- Pakistan, the Central Government has already initiated its first big blow against Pakistan.

The government has officially withdrawn the status of ‘Most Favoured Nation’ given to Pakistan. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley briefed the media after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to discuss the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir after the attack.

What does ‘most favoured nation’ mean?

Most Favoured Nation is a treatment given to a trade partner that assures such a partner of non-discriminatory trade. MFN happens to be the first clause in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and hence its importance is obvious. India granted MFN status to Pakistan in 1996 and its withdrawal will effectively close down trade between the two countries.

Now what?

While the entire world is currently waiting and watching, we can sense the intention of BJP government by the Prime Minister’s overly outspoken and unrestrained speech after the terror strike.

The Prime Minister made it absolutely clear that the Indian Army has been given complete freedom to take every action possible to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Narendra Modi in what is being called the most clear, bold, and assertive message to Pakistan and the terrorists said that the terrorists have made a huge mistake and everyone involved will pay a huge price.

Rahul Gandhi also did a press conference and came out in support of the government. It was highly sensible of the Congress President to keep politics aside in these testing times.

The leaders around the world have condemned the terror strike but the Prime Minister of Pakistan – Imran Khan haven’t yet found the basic human decency to condemn such an inhuman act of terror.

PM Modi’s first public speech after the attack