Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has revealed that he was advised to move to a bunker as India launched Operation Sindoor in May, underscoring the level of alarm within Pakistan’s top leadership during one of the most intense India-Pakistan military confrontations in recent years.

‘I Knew War Was Coming’: Zardari

Addressing a public gathering on Saturday, Zardari recounted how his Military Secretary alerted him at the very start of India’s military action. “My Military Secretary came to me and said, ‘Sir, the war has started. Let’s go to the bunkers,’” Zardari told the audience, describing the moment when Indian forces began precision strikes across Pakistan.

Zardari claimed that the escalation did not come as a complete surprise to him. “I had actually told him four days earlier that a war was going to happen,” he said, suggesting that signs of an impending conflict were visible days before Operation Sindoor was launched. Despite the warning and the advice to seek shelter, the Pakistani President said he chose not to move to a bunker. Explaining his decision, Zardari said, “If martyrdom is to come, it will come here. Leaders don’t die in bunkers. They die on the battlefield. They don’t die sitting in bunkers.”

Operation Sindoor And India’s Strikes

India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed. New Delhi blamed the attack on cross-border terrorism and said the military operation was aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure to prevent further strikes. Indian officials described the action as “focused and limited”, stating that nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoJK were targeted through precision strikes. The operation continued for four days, during which Indian forces also responded to Pakistani military actions along the Line of Control.

The strikes led to heightened hostilities, with Pakistan stepping up cross-border shelling and attempting drone and missile attacks. India responded by targeting key Pakistani military installations, pushing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours to a critical level.

Zardari said the situation eventually began to de-escalate after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations reached out to his Indian counterpart. “Later, our DGMO contacted India and proposed stopping the fighting,” he said, adding that India agreed to the request. The ceasefire came into effect on May 10 and was later confirmed by India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who said both sides had decided to halt military operations on land, sea and air.

ALSO READ: 'India Sent 80 Drones In 36 Hours': Pakistan Admits Damage To Nur Khan Air Base From Indian Op Sindoor Strikes

Pakistan Admits Damage From Indian Strikes

In subsequent statements, senior Pakistani leaders have acknowledged the impact of India’s action. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar admitted that Indian strikes damaged the Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi and injured personnel posted there. India’s military, meanwhile, said Operation Sindoor significantly degraded terror infrastructure and repelled Pakistani retaliation, calling the operation a strong message against terrorism.

ALSO READ: Yearender 2025: How Pakistan's Plot To Ignite Homegrown Terror In India Foiled

The May confrontation is being seen as one of the most serious India-Pakistan standoffs in recent years, triggered by a terror attack, followed by swift military action and brought to an end through military-level communication.