Terror Contained In 'Two-And-A-Half' Districts Of Kashmir, Says PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that his government has been effective against terror, managing to "contain" it to only "two and a half" districts in Jammu and Kashmir. He also said the government's tough stand had forced Pakistan to "plead with us to de-escalate" the situation, he said while campaigning in Gujarat's Amroli.

"Terrorism has been contained to only 'two-and-a-half' districts in Kashmir, there has been no bomb blast elsewhere in the last five years," the Prime Minister said, emphasising his government's attention to national security, the key focus area of the party campaign in this election.

The BJP has been flaunting a muscular nationalism since the army conducted the surgical strikes in on the terror camps across the Line of Control in the aftermath of the 2016 terror attack in Uri.

After the Indian Air force air strikes on the Jaish-e Mohammad camp in Pakistan's Balakot following the Pulwama suicide attack, the BJP had built its campaign on national security.

Following the air strikes and the subsequent retaliation by the Pakistan Air Force which led to the capture of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had called for de-escalation.

At Pakistan's National Assembly, Imran Khan declared that he had tried to reach out to PM Modi. "I tried to call (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi to say that we don't want escalation. But our desire for de-escalation should not be taken as our weakness," Imran Khan said.

The statement had come after much behind-the-scenes manoeuvring.

While President Trump had indicated a role, UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed made phone calls to Imran Khan and PM Modi, stressing - according to a tweet - "the importance of dealing wisely and giving priority to dialogue and communication". The Saudi Finance Minister flew to Islamabad and the Saudi envoy met PM Modi in Delhi.