In a significant revelation, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar conceded during a television appearance that Pakistan was compelled to request a ceasefire from India following strikes on two of its airbases during Operation Sindoor. He specified that the Indian forces targeted the Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi and the Shorkot Air Base in Punjab.
Dar further disclosed that Pakistan’s government contacted the United States and Saudi Arabia to intervene. Officials from these countries then engaged with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar. This admission highlights the immense pressure Pakistan faced, particularly after India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The strategic importance of the Nur Khan airbase, located between Islamabad and Rawalpindi, was underscored by the impact of the Indian strikes, as evidenced by videos circulating online. Pakistan’s leadership and media have gradually acknowledged the extent of the damage.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. The operation aimed to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India has emphasized that the operation is ongoing, signaling a new approach to counter-terrorism and necessitating a shift in Pakistan’s expectations.