If they are not able to increase the cost, and that's a big if because not all info flows to us commoners, then they must be having some good reason for it.

Haha, shitty reasoning mate. Shall we use the same logic before Doval? IA has had no dearth of tacticians. The difference is someone decided to act upon those tactics. Someone had the guts to start funding a proxy inside Pakistan and I'm fairly certain that ideas of escalatory costs is not lost on military and civilian leadership. The first step was no-holds barred replies on LC, second was raids inside PoK, third was bombings inside Pakistan proper. I'm 100% certain there will be a 4th, 5th, 6th step and one of those steps will be what I wrote in my OP. It is the only natural progression.

If by killing a few 'mules', a disaster can be delayed or even averted then I say it should be celebrated.

Whoever is talking about not acting to avert disaster? I'm saying hit the root instead of the shoots.