WASHINGTON: Diplomacy involves the patriotic art of lying for one’s country; of saying the nastiest things in the nicest way; of saying go to hell in such a way that you look forward to the trip. Such consummate skills were on full display at the United Nations and beyond on Friday as India and Pakistan fought a battle of perceptions over the outcome of the extended Security Council deliberations despite it being aclosed consultation at which neither party was invited.For Pakistan, the very fact that the UNSC chose to even go in for a consultation — informal and closed door it may be — over an issue that has been on the UN backburner, albeit at the prompting of only one country, China, was cause for celebration.Their diplomats and politicians exulted in their own idea of success, and the Pakistani media was full of headlines about the crushing defeat the country had inflicted on India by “internationalising” the issue.For India, the fact that no country agreed to the ChinaPakistan effort to force a formal meeting, the fact that the informal meeting had no minutes, no votes or show of hands, no resolution, no statements, and no outcome, showed the duo was isolated and was cause for satisfaction. Diplomats pointed out that barring China, not one among the 14 other UNSC members came out to speak on the matter. And even China’s statement segued into a plea for bilateral talks, which India was happy to undertake if Pakistan fulfilled its commitment to roll up its terrorist apparatus.The issue attracted very little attention beyond the regional circuit, with the Trump administration simply ignoring moves at the UN. Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan called President Trump shortly before the meeting in an effort to interpose the issue into a national security meeting on Afghanistan that the US President had convened, but theread-out of the call said Trump conveyed to Khan the importance of India and Pakistan reducing tensions through bilateral dialogue regarding the situation in J&K.Indian diplomats maintained that the UN episode showed that it is Pakistan that is isolated in the international community which is largely sympathetic to the difficulty India is having in tackling the Pakistan-sponsored insurgency in J&K. “The more Pakistan exerts on this issue, the more it will highlight Pakistan’s use of terrorism in the region for territorial gains and to achieve political ends,” an official said, noting that all countries are aware of Pakistan’s practices in the region.The Indian side also noted that Chinese and Pakistani diplomats bolted after making “spurious claims” on the outcome of the meeting, misrepresenting the sentiments of the UNSC, while New Delhi’s representative stood up to scrutiny and took a range of questions, including several from Pakistani scribes.While France, Russia, and Germany among others balked at the China-Pakistan effort to generate some kind of formal statement, most galling for Pakistan was the smackdown from Washington weeks after President Trump sent its hopes soaring for a mediation. Trump, who loves to talk about foreign leaders’ letters and phone calls, tweeted about a host of topics, but nothing about Khan.Evidently, the international community largely prefers India and Pakistan to sort out their problems bilaterally – and the ball here, according to what Indian diplomats said at the UN forum, is entirely in Pakistan’s court.