Pakistan President Zardari Reveals He Was Told To Take Bunker Shelter During India’s Operation Sindoor Strikes
India’s military response following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack triggered serious concerns among Pakistan’s top leadership, with President Asif Ali Zardari disclosing that he received advice to seek bunker protection when the strikes commenced during the May escalation.
During a public appearance on Saturday, Zardari recounted how his Military Secretary alerted him about the onset of hostilities as Indian armed forces executed precision attacks under Operation Sindoor, launched to retaliate against the killing of 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. “My Military Secretary came to me and said, ‘Sir, the war has started. Let’s go to the bunkers,'” Zardari stated, noting that he declined to follow this recommendation.
India initiated Operation Sindoor on May 7, striking Pakistani military facilities after earlier operations had targeted nine terror training camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Officials characterized the attacks as calibrated and restricted in scope, designed to eliminate terror infrastructure and prevent subsequent assaults. Pakistan responded to the precision strikes by escalating cross-border artillery fire, raising concerns about potential broader military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
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Zardari’s remarks represent an unusual public admission of anxiety within Pakistan’s senior leadership regarding their personal safety during the crisis. Tensions diminished after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations reached out to his Indian counterpart proposing a ceasefire, which India accepted. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri subsequently confirmed the Pakistani initiative, stating both nations agreed to halt all military activities on land, sea, and in the air.
The May confrontation represented one of the most significant military standoffs between India and Pakistan in recent years before the ceasefire implementation.
Retired general challenges Zardari’s account
Responding to Zardari’s statement, Lt Gen (Retd) KJS Dhillon told ANI, “Asif Ali Zardari is Mr 10% of Pakistan. He has a black past and is the most corrupt politician. That’s why they have put him in a corner and made him a President who has no say… Even Asim Munir was inside the bunker when India attacked. All the political leadership, all the military commanders, were in the bunkers. Only their soldiers were fighting it out, and they got killed. Even this is a lie that he knew it 4 days in advance. If they knew it four days in advance, why couldn’t they stop a single missile from hitting nine targets? If a four-day warning was given to the military and they could do nothing, it only shows their military is useless…”