Sharif Admits BrahMos a Deterrent

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appears to have admitted that Indian BrahMos missile strikes preempted a planned Pakistani military offensive in the early hours of May 10 during comments he made in Azerbaijan.

- HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI:

Speaking at an event in Azerbaijan's Lachin, Sharif revealed that Pakistan's armed forces had been prepared to launch attacks on Indian targets at 4:30 a.m. following morning prayers, but India struck first with precision missile strikes targeting multiple Pakistani military installations including the Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi.

"On the night of 9-10 May, we decided to respond in a measured fashion to Indian aggression. Our armed forces were prepared to act at 4:30 in the morning after Fajr prayers to teach a lesson," Sharif said, according to a broadcast of his speech. "But before that hour even arrived, India once again launched a missile attack using BrahMos, targeting various provinces of Pakistan, including the airport in Rawalpindi."

The admission contradicts Pakistan's earlier public stance during the conflict, where it portrayed itself as responding to Indian aggression rather than planning its own major offensive, and is a rare admission of the missile strikes.