Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advisor Rana Sanaullah has revealed that Pakistan’s military had only 30 to 45 seconds to assess whether the BrahMos cruise missile fired by India during Operation Sindoor was carrying a nuclear warhead - a moment he described as dangerously close to triggering a nuclear conflict.
The BrahMos missile, which struck Pakistan’s Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi during the intense cross-border military exchanges in May, forced Islamabad into a high-stakes, time-critical decision-making window, he claimed.
Speaking to a Pakistani news channel, Sanaullah said, “When India fired a BrahMos missile at our Nur Khan airbase, our military had just 30 or 45 seconds to determine if it carried a nuclear warhead. Such a limited timeframe is extremely dangerous. If there had been any miscalculation, it could have triggered a nuclear response, potentially leading to global disaster.”
The missile strike was part of India’s Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which killed 26 people, mostly civilians. The Indian Air Force targeted terror infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, destroying camps linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. Over 100 terrorists were reportedly killed during the operation.
Initially, India focused on eliminating terror camps, but after Pakistan attempted a military response targeting Indian border cities and key installations, India escalated by striking multiple Pakistani airbases, including Sargodha, Jacobabad, Murid, Rafiqui, and Nur Khan on the night of May 9-10.
The strike on Nur Khan airbase was later confirmed by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who disclosed that Army Chief Asim Munir called him at 2.30 am to inform him of the attack.
According to Sanaullah, the near-brush with nuclear escalation underscores the volatility of such high-tension moments. He suggested that even though the BrahMos fired was conventionally armed, any misinterpretation in those crucial seconds could have led to a catastrophic outcome. "The people on this side could have misunderstood the situation, leading to a response that might have spiralled into a nuclear war," he said.
Sanaullah also credited former US President Donald Trump for playing a key behind-the-scenes role in defusing the situation and facilitating a ceasefire between the two countries after four days of military action. He claimed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his intervention, though India has officially denied any third-party involvement in the ceasefire arrangement.
The ceasefire came after intense drone and missile strikes from both sides, which saw India successfully intercept Pakistani retaliatory attacks targeting its western regions.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar had also admitted that India’s strikes inflicted serious damage on two key Pakistani airbases. Dar said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan contacted him shortly after the Indian attacks and offered to mediate by reaching out to Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Dar confirmed he agreed to this backchannel, which eventually led to the de-escalation.
India’s use of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, jointly developed with Russia and now manufactured domestically, played a central role in the swift and decisive strikes during Operation Sindoor, inflicting heavy damage on Pakistani runways, hangars, and key defence infrastructure.
Satellite imagery later confirmed extensive damage at multiple Pakistani airbases, including Sargodha, Nur Khan (Chaklala), Bholari, Jacobabad, Sukkur, and Rahim Yar Khan. This was not the first time India had targeted Nur Khan airbase - the site was also bombed during the 1971 war.
The high-stakes operation ultimately ended with a ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan, but the revelations from top Pakistani officials now shed light on just how narrowly the region avoided a nuclear escalation.