A senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has stirred controversy by claiming that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif personally oversaw Pakistan’s military response to India’s recent strikes.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Azma Bukhari, Punjab’s Information Minister, stated that the entire operation was designed under Nawaz Sharif’s direct supervision.
“The whole operation against India was designed under the supervision of former prime minister and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif,” Bukhari declared. “He is not a leader of ‘a, b, c, d type’; his work speaks for itself.”
Background: Operation Sindoor and escalating tensions
The statement follows a recent de-escalation between India and Pakistan after four days of intense cross-border exchanges involving drones and missile attacks. The conflict ignited when India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation was a direct retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Pakistan attempted retaliatory strikes on Indian military targets on May 8, 9, and 10, but they were largely unsuccessful.
Nawaz Sharif’s stance: Military planner or peace advocate?
Despite the minister’s assertion about his military role, Nawaz Sharif has maintained a public stance favoring diplomacy. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote:
“Pakistan is a peace-loving country and prefers peace, but also knows how to defend itself.”
Sharif, who served three terms as Pakistan’s Prime Minister and led the country during the 1999 Kargil conflict, also praised the leadership for achieving the recent ceasefire.
“Thanks be to Allah Almighty for making Pakistan proud. I congratulate the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif, the Chief of Army Staff, General Syed Asim Munir, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Sindhu, and the armed forces of Pakistan,” he posted.
