Pakistan's BIG admission: PM Shehbaz Sharif says 'India hit airbases including Rawalpindi with BrahMos before Pak could act'

In a big confession, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif admitted that Pakistan had planned to strike India on May 10 but India pre-empted Islamabad's plans and India's BrahMos missile hit many areas inside Pakistan including Rawalpindi air base, in the early hours of May 10.

This statement comes against the backdrop of Pakistan's military, led by Army Chief Asim Munir — now promoted to Field Marshal — claiming victory after heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor. It also comes weeks after the Pakistani PM visited Pasrur Cantonment in Sialkot to show that Indian strikes did not damage the Pakistani airbases. The visit to Sialkot was also termed as a copycat move as it came a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Adampur airbase with the S-400 air defence system in the background.

"On the night of May 9-10, we decided to respond in a measured fashion to Indian aggression. Our armed forces were prepared to act at 4.30 in the morning after Fajr prayers to teach a lesson," Sharif said during a speech in Lachin, Azerbaijan. "But before that hour even arrived, India once again launched a missile attack using BrahMos, targeting various provinces of Pakistan, including the airport in Rawalpindi," Sharif said.

Indian Defence Forces had earlier revealed that the Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi was among the 11 military sites targeted by India in response to Pakistan's drone and missile attacks on bordering states. Apart from Nur Khan, India struck Pakistani military bases at Rafiqui, Murid, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian. The air bases in Skardu, Bholari, Jacobabad and Sargodha also suffered extensive damage.

Pakistani delegation that includes Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Asim Munir are on a visit to four friendly nations - Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iran, and Turkey - in a bid to counter India's worldwide outreach to expose Pakistan-based terror.