Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, in a television interview, confirmed that Pakistan had to ask India for a ceasefire after Indian forces struck two of its airbases during Operation Sindoor. Dar stated that the Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi and the Shorkot Air Base in Punjab were targeted by India.
Dar also revealed that Pakistan reached out to the United States and Saudi Arabia, who then contacted Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar. This admission highlights the significant pressure Pakistan was under, especially following India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The Nur Khan airbase, a strategic asset located between Islamabad and Rawalpindi, was heavily affected by the Indian strikes. Videos of the damage were widely shared on social media. Pakistan’s leadership and media are now gradually acknowledging the impact of the strikes.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India has made it clear that Operation Sindoor continues and that Pakistan needs to adjust its expectations regarding counter-terrorism.