Pakistan's deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar has recently admitted in a public forum that it was Islamabad who requested India for a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor after the Indian military had hit Rawalpindi's Nur Khan airbase and the Shorkot airbase in Punjab Province. Dar was speaking at a news broadcast segment where he said that Saudi Prince Faisal spoke to Indian External Affairs Miniter S Jaishankar within an hour of the attack to convey that they are ready to stop if India stops.
India had launched Operation Sindoor on the intervening nights of May 6 and 7 as a retaliation against Pakistan after a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam where 26 civilians were killed. The hostilities between the two neighbouring countries continued till May 10 till they announced a ceasefire.
For a long time United States President Donald Trump maintained that it was him who dissolved the situation with a promise of trade deals with both of the countries but on June 18 for the first time he admitted that India and Pakistan decided upon the ceasefire by themselves.
What Did Pakistani Minister Say?
In a clip of Deputy PM Ishaq Dar speakign on this matter on television, he can be heard saying, "Unfortunately, India once again launched missile strikes at 2:30 AM. They attacked the Nur Khan Air Base and Shorkot Air Base," as he referred to Operation Sindoor.
He continued to say, "Within 45 minutes, Saudi Prince Faisal called me. He said he had 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."
According to the Indian Army, they targeted and destroyed the infrastructure in nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir with Operation Sindoor and later it was revealed that at least 100 terrorists were killed in it.
Also Read | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Claims 100 Terrorists Killed In Op Sindoor During All-Party Meeting
Strategic Importance Of Attacked Air Bases
The Nur Khan air base has a strategic location between Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Rawalpindi is the headquarters of the Pakistan military while Islamabad is the political capital of the country.
On the other hand, the Shorkot air base is also known as PAF Base Rafiqui located in Punjab province and according to reports, it functions as one of Pakistan's 'principal fighter air bases'. This airbase has an array of combat aircraft which includes the Chinese-made JF-17 fighter jets, French-built Mirage 5 fighters and Alouette III helicopters.
