IAF had all its bet (eggs etc etc) hedged against the offensive doctrine that they follow. While their airstrikes were supposed to display a change in the approach to supposed terror activities. It backfired - IAF and Indian government now knows that such an airstrike in the future would mean escalation of the situation to uncontrollable levels.
I don't know what they were thinking, they would only have succeeded if PAF and Pakistan government did not strike back, that is never going to happen. Even I sitting in a different continent know that.
So this fallacy of future airstrikes is dead in the water, it was sheer luck that situation did not escalate further. How many future governments do you think will be willing to take the punt into the unknown and risk it all.