New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday firmly addressed the timeline of India’s cross-border Operation Sindoor, stating that Pakistan was informed 30 minutes after the Indian Armed Forces had already carried out the strikes on terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the early hours of May 7.
Speaking during a Consultative Committee Meeting (CCM) of the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi, Jaishankar rebutted opposition claims that Pakistan was forewarned. “Pakistan was informed 30 minutes after the operation. This is a dishonest misrepresentation of facts,” he said, responding to criticism from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The minister clarified that the sequence of communication was clear: the operation was executed at 1:30 am, followed by a public release from the Press Information Bureau (PIB). Only then did the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) brief his Pakistani counterpart. “The Foreign Secretary was informed, and then came the PIB statement. After that, the message was conveyed to Pakistan,” Jaishankar added.
Congress had earlier alleged that India had tipped off Pakistan ahead of the strikes — an accusation Jaishankar called baseless.
The precision strikes of Operation Sindoor were a direct response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 Indian civilians were killed by terrorists linked to an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). In retaliation, the Indian Armed Forces targeted nine terror launchpads within a span of 25 minutes, delivering what officials described as “focused, measured and non-escalatory” strikes.
Though Pakistan retaliated with drone and artillery attacks on Indian cities, Indian forces repelled all such attempts. A ceasefire was agreed upon on May 10, but it was violated by Pakistan within hours, prompting a stern response from India. The Armed Forces issued a warning that any further violations would be met with fierce retaliation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his recent Mann Ki Baat address, praised the success of the operation and showcased images of the destroyed terror sites. “Operation Sindoor reflects the courage, determination, and the evolving strength of India,” he declared.
To consolidate global support and explain India’s stance on terrorism emanating from Pakistan, seven all-party delegations have been dispatched to various world capitals. Jaishankar told the CCM that, barring three countries, no international power had criticised India’s actions, indicating strong global backing for the operation.
With India continuing its diplomatic and military efforts in the wake of the operation, the government maintains that Operation Sindoor was not just a tactical military strike — but a strategic message of zero tolerance for terrorism.
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