Pakistan's 48-hour assault plan collapsed in 8 hours, forced to seek ceasefire: CDS Gen Anil Chauhan
PTC Web Desk: In a revealing address at Pune University, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan stated that Pakistan's plan to overwhelm India through a 48-hour multi-front assault unraveled within just eight hours, compelling Islamabad to request a ceasefire.
Detailing the timeline of events from earlier in May, General Chauhan said Pakistan initiated multiple simultaneous attacks at 1 am on May 10, aiming to coerce India into submission within two days. “Their objective was to bring India to its knees in 48 hours. Several coordinated attacks were launched. However, operations they believed would last two days collapsed within just eight hours. By then, they picked up the telephone and asked to talk,” the CDS said.
The Pakistani escalation followed India's precision airstrikes on May 7, under Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terrorist camps located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistani territory. These strikes were in response to a major terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. General Chauhan confirmed that India had notified Pakistan in advance of the operation and issued a stern warning against any retaliatory aggression.
“We informed Pakistan on May 7 when we executed the strikes on terror camps. Later, when aggressive rhetoric followed from across the border, we made it clear—if Pakistan hits us or our military infrastructure, the retaliation will be stronger,” said Chauhan.
Following India’s precision operations, Pakistan retaliated with drone and missile attacks aimed at Indian border cities. However, the swift and decisive Indian response caused considerable damage to Pakistani assets. After four days of sustained hostilities, Islamabad sought de-escalation.
"As far as Pakistan is concerned, I believe two things pushed them to the table. One, they were suffering significant losses over long distances. Two, they realised that if the situation continued, further damage was inevitable. That’s why they reached out,” Chauhan explained.
Despite the ceasefire, both nations remain in a heightened state of alert. General Chauhan emphasised that Operation Sindoor is still ongoing, characterising the current situation as a “temporary cessation of hostilities.” He warned that the mission is far from complete and underlined the necessity for continued vigilance.
Echoing similar warnings issued earlier by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, General Chauhan concluded, “This is not the end. We must remain alert and prepared for any future provocation.”
- With inputs from agencies
