In a sharp rebuttal to Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s recent claims, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday dismantled Islamabad’s narrative surrounding last week's military exchanges, firmly stating that Pakistan’s airbases and terror infrastructure were decimated during India’s precision strikes under Operation Sindoor.
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing the media, said, “In the last week, as a result of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has seen its terrorism centres in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Muzaffarabad and other places destroyed. Thereafter, its military capabilities were significantly degraded by us, and key airbases effectively put out of action. If the Pakistani Foreign Minister wishes to project these as achievements, he is welcome to do so.”
Jaiswal underlined that India’s position was consistent from the beginning: target terror hubs and avoid escalation with the Pakistani military—unless provoked. “Till the night of 9th May, Pakistan was threatening India with a massive assault. Once their attempt failed on the morning of 10th May and received a devastating Indian counter-response, their tune changed and their DGMO eventually reached out to us,” he said. “All you have to do is look at who called whom to negotiate the terms of the cessation of firing.”
Countering Pakistan’s claims of inflicting heavy damage on Indian assets, Jaiswal added, “By the way, you all know that satellite pictures are available commercially. I urge you to look at the sites which Pakistan claims to have attacked. Contrast it with the places which we successfully targeted and destroyed. That will give you a clear picture.”
The MEA's statement follows Pakistan’s assertion—aired by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in a CNN interview—that it had used Chinese-made jets to shoot down five Indian aircraft, including three Rafale fighter jets. While a French intelligence source told CNN that at least one Rafale was brought down, India has not confirmed the claim, and CNN has stated it could not independently verify it.
Dar also called India’s Operation Sindoor a “wishful attempt at hegemony” and said Pakistan’s strikes were in “self-defence.” However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a national address, dismissed Pakistan’s narrative and confirmed that India had only “paused” its operations temporarily.
“Operation Sindoor has drawn a new line under the fight against terrorism – this is a new phase, a new normal,” Modi said. “If there is a terror attack on India, we will give a jaw-breaking response. India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail.”
He added that the severity of India’s offensive left Pakistan scrambling for a ceasefire and said, “They were calling the world to reduce tensions after being completely destroyed.”
With terror hubs eliminated and military installations rendered inoperative, India has reinforced its position of strength while making it clear that any future provocation will be met with an even stronger response.
