NEW DELHI: PM Modi is learnt to have told US vice-president J D Vance on Friday, "If they (Pakistan) do anything more, our response will be far stronger" when the latter called him up to convey what US intelligence had gathered about Pakistan's intent to massively escalate hostilities.
If Vance had expected that his dire message about the offensive intent of a nuclear-armed country would get Modi to lower the ante, he was mistaken. So, when Pakistan indeed widened the theatre a few hours later, India struck back by carrying out precision strikes at multiple PAF airbases, laying bare its air defence.
The successful execution of Modi's intent was what forced Pakistan to approach India for pausing hostilities. India agreed, but after laying down its 'if you don't act, we don't act; but if you act, we react strongly' bottomline.
Sources also feel Pakistan's alleged threat, which dramatically moved Vance from terming the conflict as "fundamentally none of our business" just a day before to playing the concerned mediator, may have been part of its by now familiar playbook to tap into the West's fears of a nuclear conflagration.
New Delhi, however, did not indulge Washington's activism. Sources said external affairs minister S Jaishankar made it clear to US secretary of state Marco Rubio that if Pakistan wanted to talk, it could directly approach the DGMO here.
Faced with the strong and effective response of our armed forces, they (Pakistan) ran to their uncle to seek its intervention,” a senior source said on what could have led the US to junk its ‘it is for them to sort it out’ aloofness to seek to play the firefighter.
As the pause in conflict took effect, there is satisfaction here that Pakistan’s plan to drum up support by painting doomsday scenarios of nukes flying did not work. It failed to rally the Muslim nations, with deputy foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, Adel Al Jubeir, visiting New Delhi as a mark of solidarity. “They were upset that the mass killings happened in Pahalgam during PM Modi’s visit (to Saudi Arabia) and conveyed the message that they were ready to help if needed,” the source said.
Sources pointed out Iran was also sympathetic towards India. Algeria, an Islamic country which, like Pakistan, is a non-permanent member of UNSC, was party to resolution which stressed the “need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of the reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice”. Malaysia, another Muslim-majority nation, was equally forthright in its condemnation, sources said.
Pakistan’s success in getting references to The Resistance Front, the LeT proxy, which had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam massacre, dropped turned out to be a pyrrhic victory, the sources said. “We only had to draw the attention of other countries to this and they agreed with our stand because we had been flagging TRF since 2022,” a senior govt functionary said.
If Vance had expected that his dire message about the offensive intent of a nuclear-armed country would get Modi to lower the ante, he was mistaken. So, when Pakistan indeed widened the theatre a few hours later, India struck back by carrying out precision strikes at multiple PAF airbases, laying bare its air defence.
The successful execution of Modi's intent was what forced Pakistan to approach India for pausing hostilities. India agreed, but after laying down its 'if you don't act, we don't act; but if you act, we react strongly' bottomline.
Sources also feel Pakistan's alleged threat, which dramatically moved Vance from terming the conflict as "fundamentally none of our business" just a day before to playing the concerned mediator, may have been part of its by now familiar playbook to tap into the West's fears of a nuclear conflagration.
New Delhi, however, did not indulge Washington's activism. Sources said external affairs minister S Jaishankar made it clear to US secretary of state Marco Rubio that if Pakistan wanted to talk, it could directly approach the DGMO here.
Faced with the strong and effective response of our armed forces, they (Pakistan) ran to their uncle to seek its intervention,” a senior source said on what could have led the US to junk its ‘it is for them to sort it out’ aloofness to seek to play the firefighter.
As the pause in conflict took effect, there is satisfaction here that Pakistan’s plan to drum up support by painting doomsday scenarios of nukes flying did not work. It failed to rally the Muslim nations, with deputy foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, Adel Al Jubeir, visiting New Delhi as a mark of solidarity. “They were upset that the mass killings happened in Pahalgam during PM Modi’s visit (to Saudi Arabia) and conveyed the message that they were ready to help if needed,” the source said.
Sources pointed out Iran was also sympathetic towards India. Algeria, an Islamic country which, like Pakistan, is a non-permanent member of UNSC, was party to resolution which stressed the “need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of the reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice”. Malaysia, another Muslim-majority nation, was equally forthright in its condemnation, sources said.
Pakistan’s success in getting references to The Resistance Front, the LeT proxy, which had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam massacre, dropped turned out to be a pyrrhic victory, the sources said. “We only had to draw the attention of other countries to this and they agreed with our stand because we had been flagging TRF since 2022,” a senior govt functionary said.
You may also like
Clubber who killed 'hero' dad by punching him outside nightclub jailed for manslaughter
NHRC seeks ATR from Odisha CS over underutilisation of DMF funds
Air India to resume flights on routes affected by India-Pakistan tensions
China denies reports of sending cargo plane with military supplies to Pakistan
Telangana attracted Rs 3 lakh crore investment in 15 months, says CM
