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‘Secretary said war has started’: Pakistan President Zardari says he was advised to go to bunkers during Op Sindoor
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said his Military Secretary urgently advised him to move to a bunker for safety, however he refused to enter the bunker.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has revealed that during Operation Sindoor he was advised to take shelter in a bunker for his safety, highlighting India's precision strikes in the four-day operation, targeting key areas and military infrastructure in the country.
The admission from Zardari, during an event on Saturday, comes even as Islamabad has downplayed Operation Sindoor, which India launched following Pahalgam terror attack, targeting Pakistani military and terrorist infrastructure.
The Pakistani President said his Military Secretary urgently advised him to move to a bunker for safety, however he refused to enter the bunker.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and carried out strategic precision strikes on Pakistani military installations and terror camps till May 10, when a ceasefire was announced.
Also Read: ‘80 drones, 36 hrs’: In anti-India rhetoric, Pak FM ends up admitting Operation Sindoor strike
"My MS (Military Secretary) was there. He came to me and said, 'Sir, the war has started.' I had actually told him four days earlier that a war was going to happen. But he came to me and said, 'Sir, let's go to the bunkers.' I said, '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, according to ANI.
During Operation Sindoor, India hit terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK through precision strikes and repelled the subsequent Pakistani aggression by pounding its airbases.
Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar has also acknowledged the impact of India's strategic and precision strikes on their military installation during the May strike.
While addressing his year-end press briefing on Saturday, Dar confirmed that India had targeted its Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi's Chakala, damaging their military installation as well as injuring personnel posted there.
"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," Dar said.
The Indian Air Force has said six Pakistani aircraft, including five fighter jets and another large aircraft, downed during Operation Sindoor.
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said an AEW&C (airborne early warning and control system) and six fighter jets were downed during the air strike by the Indian side.
