Zardari disclosed a startling detail about the anxiety Pakistan’s leadership faced during the heightened tensions. He recounted how his military secretary advised him to take refuge in a bunker when the situation escalated in May.
In a shocking revelation, Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari has admitted that Pakistan’s top leadership was gripped with fear during the intense military standoff with India in May during Operation Sindoor. Zardari’s remarks show the sheer terror that ran through Pakistan as India delivered a strategic military response following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025.
Speaking at a public event on Saturday, Zardari disclosed a startling detail about the anxiety Pakistan’s leadership faced during the heightened tensions. He recounted how his military secretary advised him to take refuge in a bunker when the situation escalated in May.
“My Military Secretary came to me and said, ‘Sir, the war has started. We need to go to the bunker,'” Zardari said. The response was a direct result of India’s powerful retaliation to Pakistan-sponsored terror and the growing concern that the conflict could spiral into a full-scale war.
Operation Sindoor shakes Pakistan’s military command
The root cause of the panic was India’s retaliatory strike dubbed ‘Operation Sindoor’a well-planned military operation carried out by the Indian Army in May. This operation was a direct response to the terrorist attack on April 22, which saw 26 innocent Indian civilians killed in Pahalgam by Pakistan-backed terrorists. India’s strategic counterattacks targeted key military installations on the Pakistani side.
On May 7, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, which aimed at neutralising terror infrastructure and military installations in Pakistan. The operation escalated tensions to a boiling point, and, in a dramatic turn, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) reached out to his Indian counterpart, proposing a ceasefire, which India eventually accepted.
Despite the fear that gripped Pakistan’s leadership, Zardari made a defiant statement in his speech. He told his military secretary that he would not take shelter in a bunker. “If martyrdom is to come, it will come here. Leaders don’t die in bunkers. They die on the battlefield. They don’t die sitting in bunkers,” Zardari said.
Pakistan also confirms harm to Nur Khan Air Base in Indian strikes
This comes after Pakistan accepted that one of its key military facilities was hit during Indian missile strikes carried out under Operation Sindoor. The acknowledgment came as a clear embarrassment for Islamabad, which has often denied or downplayed damage from Indian military actions.
Speaking at a press conference, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that Indian missiles struck the Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi’s Chakala area. He admitted that the attack caused damage to the military installation and left personnel stationed at the base injured.
Dar said multiple drones were fired towards Pakistan during the confrontation and one of them hit a military installation.
“They (India) send drones towards Pakistan. In 36 hours, at least 80 drones were sent… We were able to intercept 79 drones out of 80, and only one drone damaged a military installation and personnel were also injured in the attack,” he said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister went on to say that India had “made the mistake” by launching an early-morning strike on the Nur Khan Air Base on May 10, openly conceding that the attack caused damage.
Responding to Ishaq, Lt Gen (Retd) KJS Dhillon said Pakistan’s foreign minister was a “compulsive liar” and Nur Khan base was in flames after strikes by India, ruling out the former’s claim of just one drone striking the target. He said 138 personnel in Pakistan were awarded posthumously, which suggests that the impact of India’s attack was severe.
“Ishaq Dar is a compulsive liar. But at the end of the day, he also tells the truth. When they say that 80 drones were fired by India in 79, they could hit, and only one hit Nur Khan, causing some minor damage and some minor injuries. Their own Samaa TV website on 14th August, 2025, on their Independence Day, published the names of 138 awardees for gallantry award who were killed in Operation Sindoor by Indian actions, and they were awarded posthumously. If 138 were awarded posthumously, that means at least 400 to 500 people had died during Operation Sindoor because of military action,” Lt Gen(Retd) Dhillon said.
“For him to say that some minor injuries don’t add up. Nur Khan base was in flames. The videos were put out by Pakistani civilians. All eleven of their air bases were damaged very badly. We have shown separate images, videos of the damage that was done, but they will continue to tell their lies,” he added.