Islamabad: Tensions between India and Pakistan have reached a boiling point. Following India’s cross-border military operation “Operation Sindoor” targeting terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan, the neighboring country appears to be rattled. While Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is issuing aggressive statements, ministers within his own government are reportedly seeking de-escalation with India. Now, reports suggest that Pakistan’s National Security Advisor (NSA) has spoken with his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, over the phone.
Claim Made by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar
According to Turkish news outlet TRT World, this conversation allegedly took place late on Wednesday night—just a day after India’s precise strikes across the border. In an interview with TRT World, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed the call. The channel reported that the communication occurred between India’s NSA Ajit Doval and Pakistan’s NSA Aseem Malik. This marks the first direct conversation between the two nations’ NSAs since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.
Though Dar did not divulge further details, TRT World stated that the contact is being seen as an effort to reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations. However, no official confirmation of this telephone call has come from either India or Pakistan.
Tensions Escalate After ‘Operation Sindoor’
The April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam resulted in the deaths of 25 tourists and a local pony handler. In retaliation, India launched targeted strikes on terror infrastructure across the border, dubbed “Operation Sindoor.” On Wednesday, videos and images from the operation went viral on social media. India has declared the operation a complete success, asserting that only facilities linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen were targeted.
India also clarified that no civilian or military infrastructure was harmed. In contrast, Pakistan, without providing substantial evidence, claimed it had thwarted the Indian strike. India dismissed these assertions as “fake news” and “misleading propaganda.”
India Briefs Global Powers on ‘Operation Sindoor’
NSA Ajit Doval has held phone conversations with his counterparts and top diplomats in key global capitals—including the U.S., China, U.K., Russia, and Saudi Arabia. Doval emphasized that India has no intent to escalate tensions, but is fully prepared to respond firmly if Pakistan chooses to do so.
Doval reportedly spoke with U.S. NSA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian NSA Sergei Shoigu, U.K. NSA Jonathan Powell, Saudi NSA Musaid Al-Aiban, UAE NSA Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Japanese NSA Masataka Okano, and Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic advisor to the French President.
According to sources, Doval briefed these officials on the rationale and execution of Operation Sindoor. “The NSA informed his counterparts that the operation was calibrated, restrained, balanced, and responsible. He stressed that India has no intention of escalating the situation, but is fully prepared to respond resolutely if Pakistan opts to raise tensions,” said one official.