Latest news with #OperationSindoor
NDTV
an hour ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Asked India For Ceasefire When...": Pak Deputy PM's Viral Admission On Op Sindoor
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has said the country was compelled to request a ceasefire with India last month after the latter struck two of its two air bases in Rawalpindi and Punjab province, as part of Operation Sindoor that was carried out in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Appearing on a TV news show, Mr Dar said the Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi and Shorkot air base - known as PAF Base Rafiqui - in Punjab province were struck by India. It was at this juncture that Pakistan reached out to the US for its intervention and also took assistance from Saudi Arabia. The Nur Khan air base is one of Pakistan's most sensitive military compounds that houses both air force operations and VIP transport units. "...unfortunately, India once again launched missile strikes at 2.30am. They attacked the Nur Khan air base and Shorkot air base... Within 45 minutes, Saudi Prince Faisal called me. He said he had then just learnt about my conversation with (US Secretary of State) Marco Rubio. He asked if he was authorised to talk to (India's External Affairs Minister) S Jaishankar and convey that we are ready if they (India) stop. I said yes, brother, you can. He then called me back, saying he had conveyed the same to Jaishankar," Mr Dar said. Pakistan Deputy PM Ishaq Dar' openly admits 2 things in this interview 📍India struck the Nir Khan Air base and Shorkot Air base 📍 Ishaq Dar' says Saudi Prince Faisal called him asking "Am I authorised to talk to Jaishankar also and CONVEY ..and you are READY TO TALK"… — OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) June 19, 2025 On the intervening night of May 7 and 8, India launched Operation Sindoor and destroyed infrastructure in nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), in response to the April 22 in Jammu & Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists. The operation, however, escalated bilateral tensions as it led to strikes and counter-strikes between the two nations. The Pakistani actions were strongly responded to by the Indian side. According to government sources, US officials were already in contact with both sides in anticipation of escalating tensions. While maintaining a neutral posture in public, it reportedly conveyed a firm message to Islamabad: Use the official military hotline and de-escalate without further delay. The US "practically ordered" the Pakistani side to activate its direct line to the Indian Army and avoid any delay. By the afternoon of May 10, after several of Pakistan's more aggressive tactical postures were repelled by India, Major General Kashif Abdullah, Pakistan's DGMO, placed a direct call to his Indian counterpart, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai. The timing of the call, 1535 hrs IST, was later confirmed by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at a press briefing. Both sides then reached an agreement to stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea, with effect from 5pm that day. Pakistan, however, violated the agreement within hours of it coming into effect. Nur Khan is a strategic air base situated between Rawalpindi and Islamabad - the two nerve centres of Pakistan. The former is the headquarters of the Pakistan military, and the latter is the political power centre of the country. Multiple videos on social media purportedly showed the Nur Khan Air Base on fire following a huge explosion. NDTV had earlier reported that satellite imagery from April 25, taken almost two weeks before the strikes, showed the facility and the undamaged trucks. Satellite imagery from May 10, however, showed two trailer trucks, believed to be command and control facilities, destroyed by a pinpoint-accurate Indian strike. The image from May 17, taken a week after the strikes when a ceasefire was declared, showed Pakistan's clean-up operation at the air base. The PAF Base Rafiqui, on the other hand, functions as one of Pakistan's principal fighter air bases, housing an array of combat aircraft, including the Chinese-made JF-17 fighter jets, French-built Mirage 5 fighters, and Alouette III helicopters. Earlier, Pakistan's retired Air Marshal Masood Akhtar admitted to losing the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft during Operation Sindoor. In an interview with Pakistani media, he said the aircraft that provided long-range radar surveillance and control of airspace was destroyed in one of India's precision missile strikes at Islamabad's Bholari air base.
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Operation Sindoor: Pakistan's Dy PM Ishaq Dar finally admits they asked for ceasefire after India struck Nur Khan & other key airbases
Synopsis Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that Islamabad requested a ceasefire after India struck key airbases during Operation Sindoor—a response to the Pahalgam terror attack. India's swift action caught Pakistan off guard. Dar's admission contradicts earlier claims of a strong Pakistani response. Saudi mediation followed within 45 minutes, highlighting the urgency Islamabad showed to halt further Indian strikes. Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has confirmed that Islamabad requested a ceasefire from New Delhi after India targeted the Nur Khan and other key air bases during Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory strike following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. ADVERTISEMENT India attacked the Nur Khan and Shorkot airbases on the intervening night of May 6 and 7. Dar disclosed that the strikes took place while Pakistan was still getting ready to respond, suggesting that India moved first and took them by surprise. Within 45 minutes of the strike, Saudi Prince Faisal offered to speak to the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on behalf of Pakistan's deputy PM, seeking to halt further action against Pakistan. ALSO READ: Shehbaz Sharif admits Pakistan caught unawares by Brahmos missile Dar's remarks suggest that Pakistan urgently sought support to convince India to stop its limited and targeted military operation, which was described as 'precise, measured and non-escalatory.'His confession stands in contrast to earlier statements by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior Pakistani officials, who had asserted that Pakistan had delivered a strong response to India. ADVERTISEMENT Prime Minister Sharif himself had also recently acknowledged that India conducted BrahMos missile strikes on multiple locations, including the Rawalpindi air force Base Nur Khan, situated in Chaklala, Rawalpindi is around 10km from Islamabad, Pakistan capital. It is an active airbase that encompasses the former Benazir Bhutto International Airport within its grounds. ADVERTISEMENT ALSO READ: Pakistan's AWACS destroyed in India's BrahMos strikes, admits ex-Air Marshal: 'missiles kept on coming' The facility, originally established as RAF Station Chaklala and later known as PAF Base Chaklala, continues to serve as a vital military installation in Pakistan. ADVERTISEMENT The base is also home to PAF College Chaklala, which trains Aviation Cadets, and Fazaia Inter College Nur Khan, providing additional educational facilities on the Gul, a defence analyst, claimed that the strategically important Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi is 'under American control.'Pakistan air force base Rafiqui, situated near Shorkot in Jhang District, is a major military installation located 337 kilometers south of Islamabad. The base features a 10,000-foot runway with a parallel taxiway that serves as an emergency landing strip. ADVERTISEMENT The airbase was previously known as PAF Base Shorkot before being renamed after Sarfaraz Ahmed Rafiqui, a fighter pilot from the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. ALSO READ: Operation Sindoor: How BrahMos strikes and precision airstrikes became turning points in the standoff The base's infrastructure includes a primary runway and an emergency taxiway system that allows for aircraft recovery operations when Sindoor was India's swift, calculated tri‑service cross-border assault on the dead night of May 6 and 7, targeting nine terror camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the brutal April 22 Pahalgam massacre that claimed 26 innocent 25 minutes, India's Army, Navy and Air Force deployed SCALP cruise missiles, HAMMER smart bombs, loitering munitions and ground-to-ground weaponry, killing around 70 to 100 militants and crippling key Lashkar‑e‑Taiba, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen infrastructure at Bahalwalpur and Muridke in terrorists thought they were sending a message when they murdered husbands in front of their wives, after selecting victims by their religion. Via the name Operation Sindoor, the government sent an immeasurably bigger message back as India avenged the loss suffered by those vermillion, is a symbol of marriage in Hindu custom. Pakistan's military-intelligence-jihadi complex would have been among the first to note the image put out by Indian Army right after government's confirmation of the strikes - Operation Sindoor in block letters, with the first 'O' represented by a bowl of vermillion. (With TOI inputs) (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Disclaimer Statement: This content is authored by a 3rd party. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). ET does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of its contents nor is responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated, and verified. ET hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to the report and any content therein. NEXT STORY
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Operation Sindoor: Pakistan's Dy PM Ishaq Dar finally admits they asked for ceasefire after India struck Nur Khan & other key airbases
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has confirmed that Islamabad requested a ceasefire from New Delhi after India targeted the Nur Khan and other key air bases during Operation Sindoor , a retaliatory strike following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. India attacked the Nur Khan and Shorkot airbases on the intervening night of May 6 and 7. Dar disclosed that the strikes took place while Pakistan was still getting ready to respond, suggesting that India moved first and took them by surprise. Within 45 minutes of the strike, Saudi Prince Faisal offered to speak to the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on behalf of Pakistan's deputy PM, seeking to halt further action against Pakistan. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Japanese Sharpener Makes Knives as Sharp as Scalpels SurudoiSharp Undo ALSO READ: Shehbaz Sharif admits Pakistan caught unawares by Brahmos missile Dar's remarks suggest that Pakistan urgently sought support to convince India to stop its limited and targeted military operation, which was described as 'precise, measured and non-escalatory.' Live Events — OsintTV (@OsintTV) His confession stands in contrast to earlier statements by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior Pakistani officials, who had asserted that Pakistan had delivered a strong response to India. Prime Minister Sharif himself had also recently acknowledged that India conducted BrahMos missile strikes on multiple locations, including the Rawalpindi airport. Nur Khan airbase Pakistan air force Base Nur Khan, situated in Chaklala, Rawalpindi is around 10km from Islamabad, Pakistan capital. It is an active airbase that encompasses the former Benazir Bhutto International Airport within its grounds. ALSO READ: Pakistan's AWACS destroyed in India's BrahMos strikes, admits ex-Air Marshal: 'missiles kept on coming' The facility, originally established as RAF Station Chaklala and later known as PAF Base Chaklala, continues to serve as a vital military installation in Pakistan. The base is also home to PAF College Chaklala, which trains Aviation Cadets, and Fazaia Inter College Nur Khan, providing additional educational facilities on the premises. Imtiaz Gul, a defence analyst, claimed that the strategically important Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi is 'under American control.' Rafiqui airbase Pakistan air force base Rafiqui, situated near Shorkot in Jhang District, is a major military installation located 337 kilometers south of Islamabad. The base features a 10,000-foot runway with a parallel taxiway that serves as an emergency landing strip. The airbase was previously known as PAF Base Shorkot before being renamed after Sarfaraz Ahmed Rafiqui, a fighter pilot from the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. ALSO READ: Operation Sindoor: How BrahMos strikes and precision airstrikes became turning points in the standoff The base's infrastructure includes a primary runway and an emergency taxiway system that allows for aircraft recovery operations when needed. Operation Sindoor Operation Sindoor was India's swift, calculated tri‑service cross-border assault on the dead night of May 6 and 7, targeting nine terror camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the brutal April 22 Pahalgam massacre that claimed 26 innocent lives. Within 25 minutes, India's Army, Navy and Air Force deployed SCALP cruise missiles, HAMMER smart bombs, loitering munitions and ground-to-ground weaponry, killing around 70 to 100 militants and crippling key Lashkar‑e‑Taiba, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen infrastructure at Bahalwalpur and Muridke in Pakistan. Pahalgam's terrorists thought they were sending a message when they murdered husbands in front of their wives, after selecting victims by their religion. Via the name Operation Sindoor, the government sent an immeasurably bigger message back as India avenged the loss suffered by those women. Sindoor, vermillion, is a symbol of marriage in Hindu custom. Pakistan's military-intelligence-jihadi complex would have been among the first to note the image put out by Indian Army right after government's confirmation of the strikes - Operation Sindoor in block letters, with the first 'O' represented by a bowl of vermillion. (With TOI inputs)
Mint
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Shashi Tharoor says ‘didn't get a missed call' for Kerala bypoll; Congress star campaigners list tells a different story
Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor on June 19 claimed he was not invited by the party to campaign for its candidate in the Nilambur Assembly byelection in Kerala. Tharoor even said that even got a missed call to campaign for the party's candidate in the bypolls held on June 19. 'It is true that I was not invited (to campaign). As you know, I was abroad for around 16 days. Even then, I did not get an invite or even a missed call...," Tharoor, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, told reporters when asked why he was absent from the party's campaign in Nilambur. Tharoor's remarks come on a day when Kerala's Nilambur seat is voting in the by-election. Tharoor was conspicuous by his absence during the campaigning while senior Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, drummed up support for the party candidate. "But regardless of whether I campaigned or not, I want the Congress to win in Nilambur. We have a good candidate there, and our workers have worked very hard,' he said. Tharoor was, however, among the list of star campaigners submitted to the Election Commission by the Congress party. According to the list of star campaigners submitted by the Congress to the Election Commission, Tharoor's name is in eighth place among the 40 people, including KC Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala. According to the list of star campaigners submitted by the Congress to the Election Commission, Tharoor's name is in eighth place among the 40 people, including KC Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala. Congress General Secretary Mukul Wasnik submitted the list to the Election Commission of India through an official letter dated June 2. The Election Commission officially communicated this list to the Chief Electoral Officer, Kerala, on June 5 for circulation to relevant authorities. The list is available on the Election Commission of India website. The bypoll was necessitated after the seat fell vacant since the two-time MLA PV Anvar, previously supported by the Left, switched allegiance to the Congress party. Anvar contested the election as an Independent. The Congress nominated Aryadan Shoukath, the son of former MLA Aryadan Mohammed, while the ruling LDF backed M Swaraj. 'Some differences of opinion' with Congress In the same conversation with reporters, Tharoor admitted that he has some differences of opinion with the party. Tharoor, however, said that he will discuss these differences privately when someone from the party approaches him. 'I have been working in Congress for the past 16 years. I have some differences of opinion with the party, and I will discuss them inside the I don't want to speak it. I need to meet and talk, let the time come, and I will discuss it,' Tharoor said. Tharoor, who took the India case post Operation Sindoor in foreign countries while heading an all-party delegation earlier this month, has, with his remarks, seemingly riled his party for showing support for the Narendra Modi government over recent military actions across the border in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Some Congress leaders even accused Tharoor of being a 'super spokesperson' for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. I was not invited (to campaign). Even then, I did not get an invite or even a missed call. On June 10, Tharoor called his meeting with Prime Minister Modi 'good, lively and informal'. PM Modi met the members of the all-party delegations of Operation Sindoor at his residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, in New Delhi.
News18
3 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Rajnath Singh To Attend SCO Defence Ministers' Meet In China From June 25 To 27
Last Updated: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit China for the SCO Defence Ministers' meet in Qingdao from June 25-27, meeting his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meet in Qingdao from June 25 to 27 in his first such visit since Operation Sindoor. Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif will also attend the meeting. The visit coincides with India and China working to normalise relations, marked by the resumption of trade, travel, and dialogue. Singh will have bilaterals with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, on the sidelines of the SCO meet. The meeting is happening at a time when the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has resumed. Patrolling is happening in Depsang and Demchok. India and China are holding talks to reduce border tensions and enhance bilateral ties. Singh's visit follows his meeting with China's Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun at the ADMM-Plus summit in Laos, their first interaction after the border disengagement agreement. The potential visit is part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to normalise India-China ties, which may include discussions on reviving the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, restoring air links, exchanging hydrological data, and enhancing visa and people-to-people exchanges. India reiterated its support for China's SCO presidency during recent talks in Delhi between Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong.
