Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has acknowledged that India carried out precision strikes on major Pakistani military installations — including the Nur Khan and Shorkot airbases — during Operation Sindoor, contradicting earlier claims of victory made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.Dar also revealed that Islamabad had reached out to both the United States and Saudi Arabia to help defuse tensions following India’s military action.
The Indian Air Force launched the operation on May 7–8, targeting nine terror bases across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The offensive was a response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people. India blamed the attack on Pakistan-based terrorists, alleging support from the Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI.
After India initiated Operation Sindoor, Pakistani forces initiated unprovoked firing across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, targeting areas near Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, and Akhnoor. In retaliation, Indian armed forces launched coordinated strikes on several high-value military targets. These included technical installations, command and control centers, radar systems, and ammunition depots. Six airbases were also struck after Pakistan reportedly deployed Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), drones, long-range weapons, loitering munitions, and fighter jets to attack Indian civilian and military infrastructure along the western front.
In an interview with Geo News, Deputy PM Dar confirmed that the Nur Khan and Shorkot airbases were among the targets hit by Indian strikes — a rare public admission that has fueled debate within Pakistan over the actual outcome of the hostilities.
Dar also revealed that Islamabad had reached out to both the United States and Saudi Arabia to help defuse tensions following India’s military action. “Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman called and asked if he could tell Jaishankar that Pakistan is ready to stop,” Dar stated, indicating that Pakistan had sought Riyadh’s mediation alongside Washington’s.
His comments stand in sharp contrast to Prime Minister Sharif’s earlier statements, which claimed that Pakistan had successfully deterred Indian military action and was prepared for retaliation. In light of Dar’s remarks, it now appears that Pakistan was caught off guard by the speed and precision of India’s response.
According to sources, Pakistan’s military — under the command of Army Chief General Asim Munir — was still formulating a counterstrike when the Indian offensive disrupted those plans.
Reinforcing the shift in Islamabad’s stance, Prime Minister Sharif himself recently acknowledged that India had launched BrahMos missile strikes on several locations, including Rawalpindi airport. “India again launched missile attacks, BrahMos, and hit Pakistan’s various provinces, including airport in Rawalpindi and other places,” Sharif admitted.
He added that a Pakistani retaliatory strike had been scheduled for 4:30 a.m. on May 10, but the plan had to be aborted after India’s sudden offensive during the night of May 9–10 caught the military off guard.
