Pakistan, May 11 -- It was the Indian Air Force that crossed the Line of Control. It was Indian drones-many Israeli-made-that breached Pakistani airspace in waves. And it was India's political and military elite that vowed to "redraw the map," launching a campaign of aggression based more on domestic theatrics than strategic foresight.

Eighteen days later, the war ended-not with a victory parade in New Delhi, but with a hotline request to Rawalpindi. The ceasefire that followed, mediated by the United States, came without any preconditions from Pakistan. It was India that initiated de-escalation. And it was Pakistan that walked away with its credibility-and capability-enhanced.

According to officials familiar with the sequence of events...