Pakistan Admits Requesting Ceasefire After Indian Strikes on Key Air Bases

GG News Bureau
New Delhi/Islamabad, 20th June: In a stunning televised revelation, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has admitted that the country was forced to request a ceasefire with India following deadly missile strikes by the Indian Air Force on two major Pakistani air bases during Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory mission launched after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Dar, appearing on a national news channel, confirmed that India struck the Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi and PAF Base Rafiqui (Shorkot) in Punjab in the early hours of May 8. “Unfortunately, India once again launched missile strikes at 2:30 AM… Within 45 minutes, Saudi Prince Faisal called me,” Dar disclosed, narrating how urgent diplomatic channels were activated with Riyadh and Washington to avert further escalation.

According to Dar, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister spoke to India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at Pakistan’s request, conveying readiness to cease hostilities if India paused its operations. This diplomatic outreach reportedly followed an earlier conversation between Dar and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, highlighting the intensity of behind-the-scenes crisis management.

India’s Strikes: A Strategic Shock to Pakistan’s Defence Infrastructure
India’s Operation Sindoor was carried out in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 Indian tourists in Jammu & Kashmir. The Indian strikes, conducted between May 7 and 8, targeted nine terror bases across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Among the most high-profile hits were the Nur Khan and Rafiqui air bases—strategic military hubs located in the political and defence heart of Pakistan.

Nur Khan Air Base, located between Islamabad and Rawalpindi, serves as a VIP transit hub and hosts sensitive air force operations. Social media footage showed massive fire and explosions at the base, and satellite imagery reviewed by NDTV confirmed the destruction of command-and-control trailers previously intact on April 25.

PAF Base Rafiqui, meanwhile, is a major Pakistani air combat hub, housing JF-17s, Mirage 5s, and AWACS platforms. Former Air Marshal Masood Akhtar later admitted in an interview that Pakistan lost an AWACS aircraft during the Indian strikes on Islamabad’s Bholari air base, a critical blow to Pakistan’s radar surveillance capabilities.

Ceasefire Brokered, But Briefly Violated
By May 10, with Pakistani counter-moves largely repelled, Islamabad used the military hotline to de-escalate. A call between Pakistan’s DGMO Major General Kashif Abdullah and India’s Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai took place at 3:35 PM IST, later confirmed publicly by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

An agreement to cease hostilities on land, air, and sea was reached with effect from 5:00 PM that day. However, Indian officials reported that Pakistan violated the ceasefire within hours of its enforcement.

U.S. sources told NDTV that Washington had been monitoring the rising tensions and had “practically ordered” Pakistan to immediately activate the military hotline and de-escalate. While the U.S. publicly maintained neutrality, diplomatic pressure behind the scenes was crucial in halting further hostilities.

India’s Message: Retaliation Will Be Swift and Decisive
Operation Sindoor marks one of the most daring cross-border operations in recent times, showcasing India’s advanced strike capabilities and its political resolve to respond militarily to terror attacks emanating from Pakistani soil. The destruction of key assets like AWACS and command centers has reportedly left gaps in Pakistan’s operational readiness.

Meanwhile, Indian authorities have maintained a studied silence on the specifics of the operation, refraining from public commentary on targeting or damage. However, the leaked confirmations from Pakistani officials now publicly validate India’s deep-strike success.