Pak PM narrates how BrahMos hit many provinces; tears into rant over Rafale

New Delhi: In what may go down as one of the most inadvertent geopolitical admissions of 2025, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has confirmed what New Delhi has maintained all along, India preempted a major Pakistani military response with precision missile strikes during Operation Sindoor, exposing Islamabad’s disinformation campaign and putting the Indian Opposition in a tight spot.

Sharif, speaking in Islamabad days after Indian air and missile strikes decimated Pakistani terror infrastructure and airbases, acknowledged that Pakistan had been preparing a military response for the early hours of May 10, but was beaten to it by Indian BrahMos strikes, especially around Rawalpindi, where key strategic assets are housed. He claimed Pakistan’s response was scheduled for 4:30 AM, but it never took off.

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This unguarded statement does more than just confirm the timeline of Operation Sindoor. It debunks Pakistan’s earlier claims, amplified by its social media machinery, that Indian Rafale jets were downed. Those claims had already been dismissed by India’s Press Information Bureau as doctored propaganda, but Sharif’s own timeline now renders them fully implausible.

Opposition left exposed

Sharif’s admission couldn’t have come at a more politically sensitive time in India. The Opposition, led by the Congress party, has been persistently questioning the government’s narrative around Operation Sindoor, often citing Pakistani media outlets and even former US President Donald Trump, who inaccurately claimed that India was offered a trade deal in exchange for a ceasefire.

That narrative is now untenable.

Sharif’s statement lays bare that Pakistan was indeed planning a military counter-offensive, which the Indian establishment had already preempted.

In doing so, the Pakistani PM has inadvertently vindicated New Delhi’s strategic strike doctrine and called into question the Indian Opposition’s credibility in echoing adversarial narratives.

Ground realities reaffirm India’s restraint

India’s Ministry of Defence had detailed the scope of Operation Sindoor: nine terrorist hideouts in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Punjab were hit in coordinated airstrikes, without breaching international borders. Indian retaliatory capabilities were subsequently tested as Pakistan responded with missile and drone attacks, all of which were neutralised with zero civilian casualties, according to official briefings.

Despite pressure from hardliners, India upheld restraint, and the situation was de-escalated on May 10. The Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) from both sides had a rare line of communication to bring down tensions.

Sharif’s disclosure now validates the Indian government’s account of the timeline and reinforces the credibility of its military communication.

Strategic timing and political messaging

Sharif’s timeline admission, while accidental, is politically significant. It invalidates Pakistani claims, proves the timing of India's operation, and simultaneously puts the Indian Opposition on the defensive for amplifying false narratives.

The Pakistani disinformation campaign, which tried to paint India as the aggressor and itself as the victim, now lies in shambles. So does the Opposition’s argument that India’s account couldn’t be verified.

More worrying for India’s internal polity is the readiness of political actors to trust foreign propaganda over verified domestic channels. In their haste to corner the government, Opposition figures seem to have disregarded national security consensus, a dangerous precedent, especially when geopolitical stakes are high.

Global scrutiny and strategic parity

International think tanks, including the Stimson Center, and news agencies like Reuters, have tracked the tit-for-tat narrative of India-Pakistan military engagement since April. Most of them now corroborate India's version: that Pakistan was caught off-guard and that India retained the upper hand both militarily and diplomatically.

Sharif’s admission may now become a critical exhibit in that timeline, one that cements India's case on global platforms and forces Islamabad to recalibrate its narrative.