With Nur Ali Khan airbase, India has sent a message that it can neutralise Pakistan’s ‘Air Force One’ and its top military rank
Pakistan has been on a suicide mission ever since it attacked civilians in Pahalangam and massacred Hindus after confirming their faith. After the terrorist attack on the 22nd of April 2025, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ in which it neutralised several terror camps, including those of Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen, etc, in a targeted air strike across the border, deep inside Pakistan’s territory. What followed was Pakistan, yet again, targeting civilians in several parts of North and West India by shooting drones and missiles into civilian territory – attacks which continue to be summarily thwarted by India.
In the intervening night of 9th and 10th May, Pakistan carried out a second wave of swarm drone attacks at 26 locations along the International Border and Line of Control. The targeted areas include Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota, Jammu, Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet, and Lakhi Nala. According to reports, Pakistan also attempted to target Delhi, the capital city of India, with a missile, which was intercepted by India over Sirsa, Haryana.
News has also emerged of Pakistan attempting to target holy shrines of Hindus, including Jammu’s Aap Shambhu Temple and Mata Vaishno Devi.
Following the misadventure by Pakistan, India launched retaliatory air strikes in the wee hours of 10th morning. India hit major military air bases of Pakistan deep into Pakistani territory. Pakistan confirmed the attack but claimed that its assets were safe, even as visuals show massive blasts.
Pakistani airbases hit by India:
- Rawalpindi PAF Base Nur Khan, reported to have been involved in shooting down the plane of Captain Abhinandan Varthaman.
- Shorkot PAF Base Rafiqui, named after a Pakistani pilot killed in the 1965 war.
- PAF Base Murid, last mauled in the 1971 war by India.
From the list of airbases pummelled by India, the PAF base Nur Ali Khan stands out because of its significance and the potential message India sent by selecting that site as one of its targets.
Divya Kumar Soti, a defence analyst and commentator pointed out, “Nur Ali Khan Airbase, Rawalpindi attached to Pakistan Army HQs, which has been hit by Indian missile attack, houses No. 12 VIP Squadron which operates VVIP contingent of Pakistan Air Force. VVIP planes used by President (Pakistan -1) and Prime Minister of Pakistan (Pakistan -2) as well top military officers are stationed on this base. This means that now top military leadership of Pakistan cannot escape out of Rawalpindi by air. India is signalling that it won’t hesitate in eliminating top terrorist Generals of Pakistan Army”.
The Nur Ali Khan Airbase houses the No. 12 Squadron, which is the VIP transport and communication unit of the Pakistan Air Force. Essentially, It is the Air Force One of Pakistan which transports the President (Callsign Pakistan-1), the Prime Minister (Callsign Pakistan-2) and the Chief of Air Staff (Callsign Shahbaz-1) during official visits. It was originally formed as a bomber squad but eventually turned into the VIP squad in 1953.
The Nur Ali Khan Airbase also houses the top military officers and commanders, and it houses the former Benazir Bhutto International Airport, PAF College, Chaklala, an institute for Aviation Cadets of the college, and Fazaia Inter College Nur Khan.
With India targeting the Nur Ali Khan airbase, it has sent a strong message to Pakistan. The significance of the airbase is evident from the fact that not only does it house Pakistan’s “air force one” but is also responsible for the transport, communication and safety of the top leader of the country, including the President, Prime Minister and the Chief of Air Staff. The Airbase also is home to some of the top military leaders of Pakistan. By targeting this specific airbase, India is clearly sending the message that unless Pakistan chooses to de-escalate, it can neutralise one of the most significant airbases of Pakistan and along with it, it can get to the top military generals and the top leadership of the country.
India’s press briefing on 9th May – How Pakistan is targeting civilians in India in response to Operation Sindoor, which neutralised terrorists
On the 9th of May, India held a special press briefing detailing Pakistan’s misadventure in India. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofia Qureshi, described the events in the briefing.
Vyomika Singh said that on the intervening night of 8 and 9 May, the Pakistan military carried out multiple violations of Indian airspace along the entire western border with an intent to target military infrastructure. Pakistan’s military also resorted to firing heavy-calibre weapons along the line of control.
Drone intrusions were attempted from Leh to Sir Creek along the international border and LoC, the Wing Commander said. She added that around 300 to 400 drones were used to attempt infiltration at 36 locations. The Indian armed forces shot down many of these drones using kinetic and non-kinetic means. The possible purpose of such large-scale aerial intrusions was to test air defence systems and gather intelligence.
Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones. Later in the night, an armed UAV of Pakistan attempted to target Bathinda military station, which was detected and neutralised.
In response to the Pakistani attack, armed drones were launched at 4 air defence sites in Pakistan. One of the drones was able to destroy an air defence radar, Singh said.
Pakistan also carried out artillery shelling across the LoC using heavy-calibre artillery guns and armed drones at several places in Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in some losses and injuries to Indian Army personnel. Pakistan’s army also suffered major losses in India’s retaliatory firing.
Calling out Pakistan’s irresponsibility, the Wing Commander said that despite launching a failed unprovoked drone and missile attack on 7th May evening, it didn’t shut down its civilian airspace. She said that Pakistan is using civil airliners as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India will result would elicit a swift defence response. This is not safe for unsuspecting civil airliners, including international flights that were flying near the international border.
The Indian government shared screenshots of the flight tracking site Flightradar24, showing civilian aircraft flying between Karachi and Lahore when Pakistan was sending drones and missiles to India. Vyomika Singh said that IAF demonstrated considerable restraint in its response, ensuring the safety of the international civil airliner.
After the briefing by Colonel Sofia Qureshi in Hindi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh in English, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri addressed the media, saying that Pakistan targeted civilian and military establishments, and Indian armed forces responded proportionately, adequately and responsibly.
Misri highlighted the official and blatantly farcical denial of the attacks by the Pakistan government, saying it is yet another example of their duplicity, and the new depths they are plumbing in their quest for disinformation. Referring to Pakistan’s claims that Indian armed forces were attacking religious sites in India, Misri called them preposterous and outrageous.
He said that Pakistan will not succeed in its attempts to mislead the world. He said that the Gurudwara in Poonch was attacked by Pakistan, in which some lives were lost. The foreign secretary said that the notion that India will attack its own cities is a deranged fantasy that only the Pakistani state can come up with. “Perhaps they do it, as they are well versed in it, as history shows,” he added.
He said that Pakistan’s claim that India targeted the Nankana Sahib Gurudwara is a blatant lie and a part of Pakistan’s disinformation campaign. Misri said that Pakistan is trying to impart a communal hue to the situation with the intention of creating discord. He said, “Another point in the same context is Pakistan’s claims that they did not target or attack any religious places. You would recall that yesterday I shared an incident related to the attack on a Gurdwara in Poonch. Instead of owning up to these attacks, Pakistan made the preposterous and outrageous claim that it was the Indian Armed Forces and the Indian Air Force that were targeting cities like Amritsar.”
He added, “This is nothing but a desperate attempt by Pakistan to disown its acts of aggression, and it is consistent with their pattern of deceiving and misleading the world. It will not succeed. The Gurdwara in Poonch, in particular, was attacked by Pakistan, and some local members of the Sikh community, including a Ragi of the Gurdwara, lost their lives in this incident.”
In response to a question, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri further said that in view of the existing security scenario, the services of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor have been suspended till further directions. He informed the press that an artillery shell fired by Pakistan hit a house near a Christian missionary school in Poonch, in which two students of the Christ school died and several others were injured. Similarly, another Pakistani struck a nearby Christian convent of nuns, damaging infrastructure while people in the institution took shelter in an underground hall of the Christ school, which was closed at that time.
Talking about India eliminating the terrorists responsible for the beheading of Jewish American journalist Daniel Pearl, Misri said, “Jaish-e-Mohammed was in some way directly or indirectly responsible for the death of Daniel Pearl. But the real connection is through Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the British Pakistani jihadi who was held in India but was finally released in 2000, and he was the one who lured Daniel Pearl to his eventual murder. So, these are all obviously connected figures, connected individuals, connected institutions. The attack on Bahawalpur, on that facility of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur, is, I would imagine, a fitting part of this unfortunate incident.”
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