Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has disclosed that he was advised by his Military Secretary to take shelter in a bunker during the four-day military confrontation with India in May, but he chose to stay put, underscoring the level of alarm within Pakistan’s top leadership during India’s Operation Sindoor.
Speaking at a public event on Saturday, Zardari said his Military Secretary approached him after Indian strikes began, urging him to move to a bunker for safety.
“He told me the war had started and suggested we go to the bunkers. I refused. If martyrdom is destined, it will happen here. Leaders do not die in bunkers,” Zardari said. He also claimed he had anticipated the conflict several days in advance.
India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed. Indian forces carried out precision strikes targeting terror camps and military infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, destroying at least nine terror facilities and eliminating over a hundred terrorists.
The operation triggered a sharp escalation, with Pakistan attempting missile and drone attacks on Indian cities, most of which were intercepted. India responded by striking key Pakistani military installations and airbases.
The hostilities ended on May 10 after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations reached out to his Indian counterpart to propose a ceasefire, which New Delhi accepted. The agreement to halt military action on land, sea and air was later confirmed by India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
Zardari’s remarks, however, were questioned by Indian military veterans. Retired Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon said Pakistan’s political and military leadership had in fact taken shelter during the conflict.
“Even the army chief was inside a bunker. Only the soldiers were exposed. If they truly knew four days in advance, they failed to stop even a single missile from hitting its targets,” he said.
Despite Islamabad’s attempts to downplay the impact of Operation Sindoor, Pakistani leaders have since acknowledged damage. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar admitted that India struck the Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi’s Chakala area, causing damage and injuries to personnel. He said India launched dozens of drones during the escalation, with one causing damage to a military installation.
India, for its part, has said the operation demonstrated its ability to conduct precise and limited strikes while deterring further attacks. The Indian Air Force stated that several Pakistani aircraft, including fighter jets and a large airborne platform, were downed during the operation.