Recalling the tense moments, Pakistani President Asif Zardari revealed that he was advised by his military secretary to move into bunkers for his safety during Operation Sindoor when the India-Pakistan standoff took place following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
Despite warnings from his military secretary, Zardari limited his response to rhetoric, saying he refused to hide in a bunker.
“My MS (Military Secretary) was there. He came to me and said, ‘Sir, the war has begun.’ I actually told him four days ago that there was going to be a war. But he came to me and said, ‘Sir, let’s go to the bunkers.’ I said, ‘If martyrdom is to come, it will come here. Leaders don’t die in bunkers. They die on the battlefield. They are not dying sitting in bunkers,” ANI quoted Zardari as saying.
Operation Sindoor
The Indian Armed Forces carried out Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 in retaliation for the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian armed forces have carried out precision strikes on Pakistani military installations following operations targeting nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
Following the operation, tensions between India and Pakistan escalated, leading to increased cross-border shelling by Pakistan and countermeasures by Indian forces.
In a significant development, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) approached his Indian counterpart to propose a ceasefire, which New Delhi accepted. The reach from the Pakistani side was later confirmed by Foreign Minister Vikram Misri, who said both countries had agreed to suspend all military actions on land, sea and air.
Read also | Fallout of Operation Sindoor: Pakistan admits damage to military installations
Lt Gen KJS Dhillon calls Pakistan’s foreign minister a ‘compulsive liar’
Meanwhile, KJS Dhillon, author of Operation Sindoor: The Untold Story of India’s Deep Strikes Inside Pakistan, attacked Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar after Dar confirmed that India had damaged military installations and caused injuries at Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi’s Chakala.
Dar reportedly embarrassed himself by acknowledging the effects of Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor.
In an interview with ANI, Lt. Gen. KJS Dhillon called Dar a “compulsive liar”, noting that at the end of the day he recognized the truth. He also condemned a Pakistani minister for minimizing Indian strikes, claiming that only one of India’s 80 drones hit its air base.
Lt Gen Dhillon said: “Ishaq Dar is a compulsive liar. But at the end of the day he is also telling the truth. When they say that India fired 80 drones and could have hit 7 and only one hit Nur Khan causing minor damage and a few minor injuries. Their own website Samaa TV on 14 August 2015 published the names of 13825 gallantry awardees who were killed in the operation Sindoor by Native American acts, and were awarded posthumously.
Read also | Today’s India Uncompromising on Security: Modi on Op Sindoor in Mann Ki Baat
“If 138 were awarded posthumously, it means at least 400 to 500 people died during Operation Sindoor due to military action,” he added.
Lt Gen (retd) KJS Dhillon criticized Ishaq Dar’s remarks and said it was misleading to downplay the damage as “minor injuries”. He noted that the Nur Khan Air Base had caught fire and that Pakistani civilians had shared videos of the destruction. According to Dhillon, all eleven Pakistani air bases were severely damaged, and despite pictures and videos documenting the strikes, Pakistani authorities continued to deny the extent of the damage.
During a year-end press briefing on Saturday, Ishaq Dar said that India had deployed several drones over Pakistani territory within 36 hours, with one drone hitting a military installation, underscoring the scale and precision of the operation.
“They (India) are sending drones towards Pakistan. At least 80 drones were sent in 36 hours… We managed to intercept 79 drones out of 80 and only one drone damaged military equipment and personnel were also injured in the attack,” the foreign minister said.
Key things
- Asif Zardari revealed that his military secretary advised him to move to bunkers for his safety during Operation Sindoor.
- Despite warnings from his military secretary, Zardari limited his response to rhetoric, saying he refused to hide in a bunker.
