India on Thursday denied having any information about talks being held between National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Lt. General Asim Malik.
”I have no information with regard to contacts between the two National Security Advisers,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said while replying to a question during a special briefing on ‘Operation Sindoor’.
On diplomatic relations, Misri said no further steps are under consideration. “So far diplomatic relations are concerned, you can see the steps that were announced following the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on April 23. There are no further steps that are under consideration at this point of time,” the Foreign Secretary said.
Earlier, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had claimed that their National Security Adviser was in touch with his Indian counterpart Doval. “Yes, there has been contact between the two,” Dar had told news channel TRT world during an interview.
India, in a bold and calculated move, launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, a series of precision military strikes targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in response to escalating cross-border terrorism and the recent Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed.
The strikes were aimed to dismantle infrastructure linked to groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Toiba, believed to be responsible for orchestrating cross-border attacks.
Soon after the attack, India informed several world leaders of the targeted action and stated that it is prepared to “retaliate resolutely” if the neighbouring country further escalates the situation.
NSA Doval spoke to NSAs of several countries, including US NSA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, UK NSA Jonathan Powell, Saudi NSA Musaid Al Aiban, UAE NSA H.H. Sheikh Tahnoon, Secretary General of NSC of UAE Ali Al Shamsi and NSA of Japan Masataka Okano.
Doval also established contact with Russian NSA Sergei Shoigu, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Emmanuel Bonne, Diplomatic Adviser to the French President.
According to officials, the NSA briefed his counterparts on actions taken and method of execution, which was measured, non-escalatory and restrained. “He emphasised that India had no intent to escalate but was well prepared to retaliate resolutely should Pakistan decide to escalate. The NSA will be in touch with his counterparts in the days ahead,” they said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday morning chaired a high-level security meeting with NSA Doval and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, a day after Operation Sindoor.
According to official sources, PM Modi was briefed on Pakistan’s ceasefire violations as retaliatory action to Operation Sindoor and the Indian response.
”The Prime Minister reviewed the status of heightened security measures implemented in border areas, information on domestic security, and any potential increase in terrorist activity within India, as well as the potential for escalating tensions,” said sources.