Operation Sindoor Fallout: Zardari, Dar Confirm Indian Strikes; Military Panic
Islamabad: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has publicly acknowledged that the country’s military advised him to take shelter in bunkers as Indian forces launched Operation Sindoor, following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 civilians.
Addressing a gathering on the death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Zardari said his Military Secretary warned him that hostilities had begun and urged him to move to safety.
“My Military Secretary told me, ‘Sir, the war has started. Let’s go to the bunkers,’” Zardari said. “I refused. If martyrdom is written, it will happen here. Leaders do not die in bunkers; they die on the battlefield.”
BIG BREAKING 🚨 Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari admitted in a public rally that the Pakistani military was hiding in bunkers during Operation Sindoor 😳
He said “Military advised me also to hide inside the bunkers during Op Sindoor”
pic.twitter.com/xs33hJSu1w— News Algebra (@NewsAlgebraIND) December 27, 2025
India’s strikes and ceasefire timeline
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure and key Pakistani military installations, including targets in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The operation continued until May 10, when a ceasefire was reached after India also retaliated against what it described as Pakistani military aggression by striking air bases.
Drone strike on Rawalpindi base confirmed
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar later confirmed that Indian drones struck the strategically sensitive Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi’s Chaklala area. Speaking at a year-end briefing, Dar said the strike caused damage to the facility and injured personnel stationed there.
He claimed India launched a large swarm of drones into Pakistani airspace, with around 80 crossing the border within 36 hours. According to Dar, Pakistani forces intercepted 79 drones, while one managed to hit the Nur Khan base.
Pakistan has admitted that Indian drone strikes during Operation Sindoor damaged the Nur Khan air base and injured military personnel
“In 36 hours, at least 80 drones were sent,” says Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar@eriknjoka has more pic.twitter.com/MqvzzVkBOZ
— WION (@WIONews) December 28, 2025
Emergency meeting and follow-up strikes
Dar also revealed that Pakistan’s civil and military leadership, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, convened an emergency meeting on the night of May 9 to assess the situation. He further admitted that India carried out another strike on the Nur Khan Air Base in the early hours of May 10.
Multiple air bases hit
Nur Khan was among at least 11 Pakistan Air Force installations reportedly targeted during Operation Sindoor. Other bases said to have been hit include facilities at Sargodha, Rafiqui, Jacobabad and Muridke, highlighting the scale and coordination of India’s aerial and drone operations during the brief but intense military confrontation.
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