Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that India attacked two important airbases in Pakistan — Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi and Shorkot Airbase — during Operation Sindoor. These airstrikes were carried out by India on May 7, just days after 26 civilians were killed in a terror attack in Pahalgam.

Dar’s statement comes after several denials by the Pakistani government and military about the extent of the damage caused by India’s strikes. Speaking on Geo News, Dar revealed that the attacks occurred just as Pakistan was preparing to strike back, which meant India acted faster and caught them off guard.

India’s operation was a response to the brutal April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. According to India, the action was “precise, measured and non-escalatory,” targeting only terror-related infrastructure and installations involved in planning or supporting cross-border attacks.

SAUDI ARABIA TRIED TO CALM TENSIONS

Dar also revealed that within just 45 minutes of the Indian strikes, Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman personally contacted him right after the strikes. “Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman called and asked if he could tell Jaishankar that Pakistan is ready to stop,” Dar told Geo News. The prince wanted to speak to Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Pakistan’s behalf to calm the situation.

This shows that Riyadh played a quiet yet important role in trying to bring down tensions between India and Pakistan. Dar added that Islamabad also reached out to the United States in hopes of stopping further military escalation by India.

Dar’s confession also contradicts earlier claims made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other top officials of Pakistan, who had claimed that Pakistan had given a strong answer to India. But now, even PM Sharif has accepted that India carried out BrahMos missile strikes targeting several areas, including the Rawalpindi airport.

“India again launched missile attacks, BrahMos, and hit Pakistan’s various provinces, including airport in Rawalpindi and other places,” said Sharif in a recent interview.

He admitted that Pakistan had planned a counterattack at 4:30 am on May 10, but India’s second round of strikes on the night of May 9-10 disrupted those plans. This shows that Indian forces not only struck first, but they also successfully preempted Pakistan’s retaliation.

Adding more weight to the Indian offensive, General Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Army Chief at the time and now promoted to Field Marshal, said that India’s actions were aimed at creating a “new normal.” According to Pakistani news outlet Dawn, Munir told overseas Pakistanis in Washington, “India attempted to establish a ‘new normal’ — a dangerous precedent of crossing international borders at will.”

OPERATION SINDOOR

Operation Sindoor was launched by India as a response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians lost their lives. India carried out multiple drone and missile strikes on terror camps and military bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(Pok) starting from May 7.

In response, Pakistan attempted attacks on Indian military sites on May 8, 9, and 10. However, India responded with even more powerful counter-attacks, hitting back at key locations and disrupting Pakistan’s plans.

After four days of rising tensions and cross-border strikes, both sides reached an understanding of a ceasefire on May 10.

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