Pakistan's Deputy PM makes BIG statement on ceasefire with India after Operation Sindoor, says, 'Asked India for ceasefire when...'

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has stated that the country was "compelled" to appeal to India for a ceasefire last month after the latter struck two of its air bases in Rawalpindi and Punjab province during the escalations in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor that was launched in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack. 

Appearing on a TV news show, Pak Deputy PM said that the Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi and Shorkot air base in Punjab province were struck by the Indian air forces. It was at this juncture that Islamabad reached out to India, requesting a ceasefire truce. 

Pertinent to note that the Nur Khan air base is one of Pakistan's most sensitive military compounds, handling both air force operations and VIP transport units. "...unfortunately, India once again launched missile strikes at 2.30am. They attacked the Nur Khan air base and Shorkot air base... Within 45 minutes, Saudi Prince Faisal called me. He said he had then just learnt about my conversation with (US Secretary of State) Marco Rubio. He asked if he was authorised to talk to (India's External Affairs Minister) S Jaishankar and convey that we are ready if they (India) stop. I said yes, brother, you can. He then called me back, saying he had conveyed the same to Jaishankar," Mr Dar said.

This comes amid US President Donald Trump's repeated claims that he mediated the ceasefire truce between the two countries. 

Operation Sindoor 

Following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 which had claimed 26 lives, the Indian armed forces launched 'Operation Sindoor', destroying nine terror camps in Pakistan's Punjab province and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). 

After this, Pakistan began carrying out strikes at Indian bordering regions, resulting in more than 15 casualties from Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch. The three-day-long hostilities came to a halt on May 10 with ceasefire between the two neighbouring nations.