In a significant shift from previous denials, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has admitted that India successfully struck the Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi and the Shorkot airbase during Operation Sindoor. This operation was launched by India in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians and was orchestrated by terrorists nurtured by Pakistan's ISI.
Dar's admission, made in a recent interview with Geo News, confirms that the Indian strikes occurred on the night of May 6 and 7, 2025. He revealed that within 45 minutes of the strikes, Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman contacted Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on behalf of the Pakistani government, seeking an immediate cessation of hostilities. This revelation strongly suggests that Pakistan was desperate to halt India's "precise, measured, and non-escalatory" kinetic action.
The acknowledgement by Pakistan's Deputy PM starkly contrasts earlier claims by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had asserted that Pakistan inflicted a decisive blow to India during Operation Sindoor. Dar's statements corroborate reports that Pakistan urgently sought assistance from both Saudi Arabia and the United States to mediate with India and de-escalate the rapidly escalating conflict.
Operation Sindoor was initiated following the deadly Pahalgam attack. India accused Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism, a charge Islamabad denied. India launched missile strikes targeting what it described as terrorist infrastructure belonging to Pakistan-based militant groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, located both within Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India maintained that its strikes were carefully targeted to avoid hitting Pakistani military or civilian facilities. However, Pakistan claimed that the Indian strikes resulted in civilian casualties and damaged civilian areas, including mosques.
Following these initial strikes, the conflict escalated, involving border skirmishes and drone attacks between the two countries. Pakistan retaliated with mortar shelling on civilian areas in Jammu, resulting in further casualties and damage. The conflict also marked the first instance of drone warfare between the two nuclear-armed nations.
According to reports, the initial Indian strike successfully disabled the northern air command-control center at Nur Khan air base in Chaklala, Rawalpindi, followed by subsequent strikes on the Jacobabad and Bholari airbases. These strikes significantly crippled Pakistan's air defense capabilities within hours.
Reports indicate that the strikes eliminated a substantial number of terrorists, with the most significant damage inflicted in Bahawalpur, a known stronghold for terror activities in Pakistan. Operation Sindoor also marked a milestone as it saw the active participation of Indian women fighter pilots in combat roles for the first time.
Following the Indian strikes, Pakistan's military, led by Army Chief General Asim Munir, was reportedly caught off guard, disrupting planned counterattacks.
Ultimately, a ceasefire agreement was reached after intense diplomatic efforts. India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that India responded in self-defense and ceased firing once Pakistan relented.
