“War has started, go to bunker”: Pak President Zardari reveals panic in Pakistan leadership

Pakistan’s claims collapse as Zardari reveals leaders hid during India’s Operation Sindoor strikes

December 28, 2025

Zardari’s bunker confession reveals fear in Pakistan’s top leadership as India destroyed terror camps under Operation Sindoor

Zardari’s bunker confession exposes Pakistan’s fear during India strikes

Pakistan’s carefully cultivated image of bravado collapsed publicly this week after President Asif Ali Zardari admitted that the country’s top political and military leadership panicked during India’s Operation Sindoor, to the extent that he was advised to take shelter in a bunker.

Speaking at a public event, Zardari revealed that as tensions with India peaked in May, following New Delhi’s decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, his own military secretary warned him that “the war has started” and urged him to move underground for safety. The admission laid bare the fear that gripped Islamabad as India struck with precision and confidence.

Zardari’s remarks came amid growing scrutiny of Pakistan’s claims of preparedness during the standoff. India’s retaliatory strikes under Operation Sindoor — launched after Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir — dismantled multiple terror camps and exposed serious gaps in Pakistan’s defence posture.

Adding to the embarrassment, former Indian Army officer Lt Gen KJS Dhillon (retd) ridiculed Pakistan’s narrative, pointing out that while Pakistan’s leadership hid in bunkers, its soldiers were left exposed on the ground.

“Even Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir was inside a bunker when India attacked. The political leadership and military commanders were hiding, while soldiers were fighting and dying,” Dhillon told ANI. He also dismissed Pakistan’s claim that it had advance intelligence of India’s strike. “If they knew four days in advance, why couldn’t they stop even a single missile from hitting nine targets?” he asked.

Under Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army and Air Force carried out coordinated strikes that destroyed at least nine terror camps and eliminated over a hundred terrorists, dealing a crippling blow to Pakistan-backed militant infrastructure.

The operation sent shockwaves through Pakistan’s military command. On May 7, Indian forces targeted terror hubs and strategic installations across the border, pushing Islamabad into a corner. With pressure mounting, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations reached out to his Indian counterpart seeking a ceasefire — a proposal India eventually accepted from a position of strength.

Despite admitting to the panic within Pakistan’s establishment, Zardari attempted to strike a defiant tone, claiming he refused to hide. “If martyrdom is to come, it will come here. Leaders don’t die in bunkers,” he said — a statement that stood in stark contrast to his own disclosure that bunkers had become the refuge of Pakistan’s top brass.

The episode has turned Pakistan into a subject of ridicule, exposing a leadership that talks tough in public but retreats underground when faced with decisive military action. Operation Sindoor, meanwhile, has reinforced India’s message that terror attacks will be met not with restraint, but with resolute force.

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