Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made a significant admission, publicly acknowledging that Indian ballistic missiles struck the Nur Khan Airbase and other locations within Pakistan on May 10. This marks a notable departure from Pakistan's long-standing policy of denying Indian military actions.

Sharif revealed that he received a call at 2:30 AM on that day from Army Chief General Asim Munir, who informed him about the Indian missile strikes. The Prime Minister recounted General Munir's confidence and patriotism during the call, adding that the Army Chief sought permission to retaliate, which was granted. Sharif highlighted Pakistan's subsequent counter-attack, mentioning that Pakistani missiles hit targets in India, including Pathankot and Udhampur.

Sharif's statement came during a "Youm-e-Tashakur" (Day of Thanks) event in Islamabad, commemorating what he described as Pakistan's success against India. He asserted that Pakistan's armed forces, particularly the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), effectively countered India's actions. Sharif claimed the PAF utilized indigenous technology and modern gadgets on Chinese jets in the response. He also stated that General Munir contacted him again in the morning to inform him that Pakistan had delivered a fitting response and that a ceasefire had been requested, which he approved.

The admission follows a period of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, sparked by the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which resulted in 26 fatalities. India attributed the attack to Pakistan-based terror groups and vowed a decisive response, which led to Operation Sindoor. Following this, both countries engaged in cross-border drone and missile strikes.

News of Sharif's admission has quickly reverberated across social media and political circles. Amit Malviya, head of the BJP's National IT Department, shared a video clip of Sharif's statement on X, noting the significance of the Prime Minister being awakened in the middle of the night with news of strikes deep inside Pakistan. He said that this "speaks volumes about the scale, precision, and boldness of Operation Sindoor."

Several reports indicate that the Nur Khan Airbase, located less than 25 kilometers from Islamabad, was among the targeted locations. Other reports cite that the Murid (Chakwal) and Rafiqui (Shorkot in Jhang district) air bases were also targeted. Initial reports by Pakistan had claimed that its air defenses had thwarted the Indian strikes. However, Sharif's recent statement confirms that at least some of the missiles did indeed hit their intended targets.

The admission by Prime Minister Sharif is particularly noteworthy considering Pakistan's history of denying similar incidents. Some analysts view this as a potential shift in Pakistan's approach to transparency regarding cross-border military engagements.