How India, Pak Arrived At A Truce

Even when phone lines lit up New Delhi, the stance was clear - no political or diplomatic channels, with dialogue only via DGMO; but Pak's intention was to escalate

- JAYANTH JACOB

At 1.30AM on May 7, shortly after a precision military operation was completed, India's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called his Pakistani counterpart, Major General Kashif Abdullah, to convey that India had struck terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The operation, named Operation Sindoor, was launched at 1.05am and lasted just 25 minutes, during which the Indian Armed Forces fired 24 missiles at nine terrorist camps identified as staging grounds for attacks against India.

The DGMO emphasized that the strike was measured, precise, and non-escalatory, with no Pakistani military assets targeted—only terrorist infrastructures were hit.

Soon after the military operation concluded, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval spoke with Marco Rubio and other key interlocutors. As calls began pouring in, several countries expressed concern that tensions between the two neighbours could escalate further. Leading the outreach—apart from the United States—were Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, and Egypt, seeking clarity, urging restraint or opening talks.

"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 stance, no DGMO call came through.

Of the many calls, at least twelve countries supported India's right to defend itself.

"Some of the interlocutors were preachy as well, but we told them, 'This is our stand, what you will tell Pakistan is your choice... Our position is that if they escalate, we will escalate',"

Soon after the strike, phone lines between several world capitals and New Delhi lit up, as "diplomats and leaders, who earlier wondered how India would respond to Pahalgam, were now eager to know what would come next," sources said.