I don't think they should escalate at the LOC because the other side can do the same. Bullet for bullet is perfect, let's stretch the Baki budget till it's last strings. Until Maryam Sharif is forced to dance in Hira Mandi for bullet money
Befitting reply brings a sense of predictability. This will help Pakistan in defining the cost of trying to push Jihadis into India. That's not gonna help in the long run as Pakistanis will adapt to it. What we need to do is to confuse them to an extent where there is fear of Indian response and indecision because of that. Say they fire at you with small calibre or just machine guns. You reply with heavy artillery. What's they gonna do then, reply with artillery? Of course, they will, but for how long? They can't match artillery fire for fire with us for a long time as the cost of it will be higher both in terms of material and men. Mind you, most of the time Pakistanis do firing at LOC just to push Jehadis under cover by distracting our posts towards response. But what if we start blowing their posts by 155 mm every time they do cover-fire for infiltrating Jihadis? There will be an infusion of fear among their post occupants. And that fear will make some of them think about their lives, first. This will lead to the objective of pushing Jehadis becoming something of a lesser value at the local level. Everyone fears for his life. Just see how they pushed Jihadi launch pads deep just after one cross LOC counter-terrorist operation.
Though I realise there is a cost to upping the ante to a newer level every time. But we have no option other than responding with terrifying force, otherwise, this duel may continue for 100 years. And our real enemy, China will love to see us dragged for so long while it enjoys the smooth sailing.
In other words, we have to make every Pakistani see his real
Aukaad to steer us to a solution of this vermin called Pakistan.