Pakistan Admits Seeking Ceasefire with India After Military Strikes

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar acknowledged in a television interview that Pakistani forces were compelled to request a ceasefire from India following Indian strikes on two of its airbases during Operation Sindoor. He identified the targeted airbases as the Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi and the Shorkot Air Base in Punjab.

Dar further revealed that Pakistan reached out to the United States and Saudi Arabia, whose ministers then communicated with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar. This admission underscores the significant pressure Pakistan faced after the Indian response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The Nur Khan airbase, considered strategically important, is situated between Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Videos of the airbase circulated on social media, highlighting the severity of the Indian strikes. These events prompted a shift in Pakistan’s leadership and media, gradually acknowledging the extent of the damage.

Operation Sindoor, launched by India on May 7 in retaliation for the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India has stated that the operation is ongoing, signaling a new approach to counter-terrorism and emphasizing the need for Pakistan to accept the changed circumstances.