Retired Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has revealed a critical turning point in India’s response during Operation Sindoor, saying Pakistan’s request for a ceasefire was deliberately delayed by India. This revelation sheds light on India’s calculated strategy to ensure maximum impact before halting military action.
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## Early Morning Call from Pakistan: May 10, 2025
On the morning of May 10, 2025, Pakistan formally sought a truce through the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) hotline amid Operation Sindoor. However, India waited until the afternoon to respond. According to General Chauhan, the delay was intentional, as only half of India’s planned operations had been executed by that time.
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## The Goal: A More Decisive Victory
India’s decision to extend operations despite Pakistan’s morning appeal stemmed from a desire for a more conclusive outcome. General Chauhan stated India wanted military objectives fully met before agreeing to a ceasefire. Pakistan, on its part, believed that previous strikes had already achieved sufficient damage and was concerned that further escalation by India was possible.
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## Offensive Strikes Before Diplomacy
### Iran’s View: Bold Moves
It all began with heightened tensions following aggressive statements from Pakistan on May 9, 2025. That rhetoric suggested Pakistan believed it could challenge India within 48 hours.
India responded swiftly and forcefully: from the night of May 9 through the afternoon of May 10, it launched multiple airstrikes targeting 11 Pakistani military bases and airfields. These included major damage to hangars, radar installations, and several fighter aircraft.
### Strategic Locations Hit Hard
Sites like Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, Rahim Yar Khan, and Bholari airbase are still undergoing repairs, demonstrating the lasting physical toll of the assaults. India intended these strikes to make it clear that no Pakistani military site—especially those related to air power—was out of reach.
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## The Turning Point
Around 9:30 AM, encountering mounting losses, Pakistan reached out for truce. General Chauhan noted that India’s air power losses were already significant, and the bombing had begun to show its true effect. Pakistan aimed to negotiate before suffering further damage.
Instead of immediately accepting Pakistan’s request, India launched fresh waves of air strikes—one at 10:00 AM and another by 1:00 PM—just before deciding to stop the offensive. “We wanted the victory to be more decisive,” General Chauhan said.
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## Context: Operation Sindoor’s Genesis and Response
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, where 25 tourists lost their lives. The first wave of the operation targeted nine terror camps inside Pakistan affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Pakistan’s counterattack included firing drones and missiles at military sites across border regions in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan. Indian defenses neutralised or intercepted most threats. Only then did India escalate countermeasures by striking the Pakistani military installations directly.
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## The Advantage: Clear Battlefield Transparency
General Chauhan emphasized India’s edge in terms of real-time operational intelligence. Delhi was able to swiftly assess the impact of both its own and Pakistan’s attacks. This battlefield transparency enabled informed decision-making under pressure.
He also noted how Pakistan had envisioned conducting rapid, deep strikes—similar to India’s—that could cause large-scale damage. However, India pre-empted those ambitions by targeting critical infrastructure like radar sites and disabling airstrips. Following that strategy, Pakistan’s ability to generate sorties was severely curtailed.
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## Why India Held Back Until Afternoon
General Chauhan explained that although Pakistan reached out early in the morning (about 9:30 AM), India didn’t accept the truce right away. They opted to continue with two more waves of attacks scheduled at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM. The decision reflected India’s resolve to deliver a defeat that was not just tactical, but strategically significant.
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## Lasting Impact and Reflections
The dramatic escalation—culminating with India refusing Pakistan’s early ceasefire request until after additional air strikes—has had a long-lasting effect. Many of the sites struck still suffer from structural damage. The operation also underscored the effectiveness of combining audacious strategy with precise execution.
According to Chauhan, defeating Pakistan’s expectations was as vital as the physical damage. Pakistan had assumed that after initial operations, India would be constrained from further escalation. By rejecting the early truce, India reframed the battlefield on its own terms.
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