In a massive admission from Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister, Ishaq Dar, confirmed that India struck key Pakistani airbases during the recent military conflict under Operation Sindoor.
Speaking to Geo News, Dar said, Indian strikes targeted the Nur Khan and Shorkot airbases on the intervening night of 6th and 7th May. Dar said, India hit the Nur Khan and Shorkot airbases just as it was preparing to launch retaliatory strikes.
In another revelation, Dar said Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman called him up and asked if Pakistan was ready to stop and offered to convey the message to India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar.
"Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman called and asked if he was authorised to tell Jaishankar that Pakistan is ready to stop."
Dar said, the Saudi prince called him 20-25 times and said that he has conveyed the message to EAM Jaishankar.
Dar's statement implies that Pakistan reached out not just to the US but also Saudi Arabia to mediate with India.
Earlier last month while speaking at a ceremony at the Pakistan Monument, Sharif said, "At around 2.30am on May 10, General Syed Asim Munir called me on secure line and informed me that India's ballistic missiles have hit Nur Khan Airbase and other areas," news agency ANI reported, quoting Pakistan's Geo News.
Earlier on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said, "I stopped the war. I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. We are going to make a trade deal with PM Modi. I stopped the war between Pakistan and India. This man (Asim Munir) was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistani side and PM Modi from the Indian side. Both are nuclear countries; they got to stop. I stopped a war between two major nuclear nations."
Pakistan on Thursday issued a NOTAM for the Rahim Yar Khan airbase till July 4.
