SRINAGAR: Placing Jammu and Kashmir at the heart of India’s evolving counter-terror architecture, Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the government’s zero-tolerance approach to terrorism has delivered decisive results in the Union Territory, including the neutralisation of attackers behind the Pahalgam incident and the dismantling of wider terror-linked networks.
Addressing the Anti-Terrorism Conference 2025 in New Delhi, Shah, according to PIB, said the experience of Jammu and Kashmir now informs the country’s broader security strategy, particularly in dealing with technology-driven and hybrid forms of terrorism.
The two-day conference is being organised by the National Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs. During the inaugural session, Shah unveiled the NIA’s updated crime manual, an Organised Crime Network Database, and a Lost, Looted and Recovered Weapons Database. The event was attended by Ministers of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, senior officials from central intelligence and security agencies, and police leadership from states and Union Territories.
Shah said the annual conference had evolved into an operational platform rather than a mere deliberative forum, with actionable outcomes pursued throughout the year by the NIA and state agencies. He said the government has sought to build a strong, nationwide anti-terror grid by reviewing terror incidents in India and abroad, assessing intelligence inputs, and recalibrating responses to emerging threats, particularly those shaped by rapid technological change.
Referring to the attack in Baisaran Valley, Shah said the incident was intended to disrupt communal harmony and undermine the renewed push for development and tourism in Kashmir. He said security forces, acting on precise intelligence, neutralised all three terrorists and conveyed a strong message to Pakistan. According to him, the investigation into the Pahalgam attack has been completed, and its findings will be presented on international platforms, placing Pakistan under scrutiny. He added that the operation demonstrated a new standard of coordinated response, from intelligence gathering to investigation and counter-action.
The Home Minister also cited what he described as an exemplary investigation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police into a blast conspiracy linked to Delhi, saying large quantities of explosives were recovered and the entire network was dismantled before further attacks could take place. He said the Pahalgam and Delhi cases reflected vigilant policing and watertight investigation, rather than routine law enforcement.
Shah said the government has worked to strengthen coordination through platforms such as the Anti-Terrorism Conference, DGP Conference, Security Strategy Conference and N-CORD meetings, with the anti-terror forum acting as a common thread. He said the NIA has developed a common Anti-Terror Squad structure for adoption across states, arguing that uniform operational standards are essential for effective intelligence sharing, investigation and prosecution. He urged states to make systematic use of platforms such as NATGRID and NIDAAN to uncover hidden linkages in terror and organised crime cases.
Highlighting the nexus between organised crime and terrorism, Shah said criminal networks often evolve into terror-financing channels once their leadership relocates abroad. He said the newly launched organised crime database should be used by states, under the guidance of central agencies, to dismantle such networks comprehensively.
Shah said India’s growing economic stature and strategic location necessitate heightened vigilance, warning that internal security challenges would expand alongside economic growth. He said preparations for border security and internal stability must begin far beyond physical frontiers, particularly in the context of cyber warfare, information operations and the misuse of economic networks. He said the government is working towards a multi-layered national security grid capable of swift and decisive action.
Calling for a shift from a “need to know” to a “duty to share” approach, Shah said technology and data must not remain siloed across agencies. He said discussions are underway within the Ministry of Home Affairs, the NIA and the Intelligence Bureau to develop a seamless national framework for data and technology that can also support state police forces.
The Home Minister said the database of terrorists and criminals should become a core asset of the zero-terror policy and urged states to implement it in letter and spirit. He said the government is preparing a comprehensive plan for a 360-degree assault on organised crime and reiterated the need to pursue trial-in-absentia provisions to compel fugitives to return.
Concluding his address, Shah said all central and state agencies must function as a single ‘Team India’ to confront evolving security challenges. He said building a robust anti-terrorism grid today was essential not only for current security needs but also for equipping future generations of officers to deal with increasingly complex threats.
