“Wahan se goli chalegi, toh yahan se gola chalega” (If bullets come from there, shells will come from here) was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unequivocal message. “It couldn’t have been anything else—we were certain that a new normal had been established,” a source added.Immediately after the military operation concluded, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval spoke with Marco Rubio and other key interlocutors. As calls poured in, several countries expressed concern that tensions between the two neighbours could escalate further. Leading this outreach, apart from the United States, were Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, and Egypt—seeking clarity, urging restraint, or encouraging dialogue.“Our position was clear: we are open to dialogue through one communication channel the DGMO and nothing beyond that. We are not seeking escalation, but any further provocation will be met with a response,” said a source. However, despite this offer, no DGMO call came through immediately from Pakistan.Of the many calls, at least twelve countries expressed support for India’s right to self-defence.“Some interlocutors were preachy, but we told them, ‘this is our stand; what you tell Pakistan is your choice—our position is that if they escalate, we will escalate.’”Diplomatic engagement with the United States intensified, especially since Washington was sponsoring a resolution at the United Nations Security Council. “There were many calls, as we couldn’t leave anything to chance with Pakistan sitting on the Security Council. But the biggest breakthrough came when Pakistan tried hard to exclude the name of the terror organisation The Resistance Force from the list. We highlighted this pattern of Pakistan shielding terror outfits targeting India in every subsequent conversation,” a source said.
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