“We Were Ready After Prayers, But India Struck First”: Pakistan PM Admits Surprise BrahMos Strikes Under Operation Sindoor

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi / Baku — In a candid admission made during his visit to Azerbaijan, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif revealed that India’s Operation Sindoor caught Islamabad off-guard, with Indian BrahMos missile strikes hitting several key locations inside Pakistan — including Rawalpindi airport — hours before Pakistan could respond.

“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 AM after Fajr prayers to teach a lesson. But before that hour even arrived, India once again launched a missile attack using BrahMos,” Sharif said in his address.

The strikes were India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed. India’s operation specifically targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), as part of a calibrated and precise retaliation strategy.

This marks the second public confirmation by the Pakistani Prime Minister regarding the extent and impact of Operation Sindoor. Earlier this month, he had acknowledged that India struck the Nur Khan Airbase and other strategic installations during the early hours of May 10.

Speaking at an event in Islamabad, Mr Sharif detailed how at 2:30 AM, he was contacted by Pakistan’s Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, who informed him of the incoming missile strikes. “There was no time to respond effectively. India moved decisively,” Sharif reportedly told party leaders at the time.

The Indian operation, which employed indigenously developed systems like the BrahMos missile under the “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” programmes, showcased India’s growing technological prowess in defence. In contrast, analysts have noted that Pakistan's heavy reliance on Chinese-made systems failed to provide an effective shield.

Strategic experts view Sharif's repeated admissions as both rare and significant. “It is not common for a Pakistani leader to so directly acknowledge the success of Indian military operations. It reflects the scale of surprise and possibly, the internal pressure to explain the failure to defend key installations,” said a former Indian Army officer.