Former Afghanistan VP hails Operation Sindoor and subsequent ceasefire as Indian victory, dubs Pakistan’s Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos ‘propaganda without proof’
On 11th May (local time), former Vice President of Afghanistan, Amrullah Saleh, weighed in on the recent tensions between India and Pakistan. He described India’s execution of Operation Sindoor and the eventual ceasefire as a clear strategic victory for India.
He drew a sharp comparison between India’s Operation Sindoor and Pakistan’s so-called Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos and outlined several key firsts that defined India’s assertive and autonomous approach.
Operation Sindoor vs Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos – some of the firsts
India showed real strategic autonomy
For the first time, India did not seek approval or sympathy from the outdated United Nations Security Council (UNSC), dominated by the victors of 1945. Saleh pointed out that Operation Sindoor demonstrated a strong sense of self-confidence, strategic autonomy, and sovereignty.
India targeted both terrorists and their backers
Saleh noted that the long-standing notion that terrorists operate separately from their state backers was decisively rejected by India, and it boldly targeted both the terrorists and their handlers within Pakistan. This shift signals a new paradigm and forces Pakistan to invent new forms of deniability.
Pakistan’s military ambitions versus financial realities
While hostilities were ongoing, Pakistan sought and surprisingly secured an IMF loan. The former VP pointed out that Pakistan has enough resources to fight battles but not to sustain a war. No war has ever been won on IMF loans. He said, “It matters because most likely Pakistan isn’t fit enough to finance a war but has capabilities to engage in battles. A war can’t be won with IMF loans anyway.”
Limits of strategic patience tested by terror attack
Saleh noted, “The strategic patience and cultural restraint have a limit. That limit was tested on 22nd April by the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists. Perhaps they wanted what followed. They didn’t benefit from their adventure though. Perhaps they wanted to humiliate India publicly. They seem to be mentally stuck in 2008.”
India demonstrated overwhelming reach
The belief that Pakistan’s Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi was impenetrable was disproven. The former VP said, “Size matters. Every inch of Pakistan was within reach. I always thought the Nur Khan airbase was the best-defended base of Pakistan. It isn’t. The garrison town of Rawalpindi, as the heart of Pakistan’s military and its best-known airbase, was hit.”
India ended Pakistan’s monopoly over Islamic fatwa
For decades, Pakistan leveraged religious fatwas to rally sympathy within the Muslim world. India’s own ulema, notably from Deoband, issued a fatwa in support of India, thereby stripping Pakistan of this unique diplomatic tool. He said, “The religious dimension always exploited by Pakistan to earn sympathy from the Muslim Ummah evaporated. Deoband is located in India, by the way.”
India maintained remarkable operational secrecy
Despite the challenge of operating within a democratic framework where leaks are common, India maintained strict operational silence. He said, “Keeping secrets in a democratic society is next to impossible, but very little leaked out of India, which shows enormous skills in adhering to principles of operational silence and public unity to assist in the safeguarding of secrets.”
Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos – propaganda without proof
The Afghan leader noted the absence of credible visuals or evidence from Pakistan’s claimed Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos. He said, “I have seen very few or no visuals from Operation Bunyan Ul Marsoos to comment on. Seemingly, it never took off the way it was propagated. The ceasefire saved Pakistan’s skin. Pakistan’s military leadership has made statements and claims over their own achievements, but the Indian skies remained open, flights weren’t cancelled, and I haven’t seen visuals of missiles landing in Delhi or Amritsar.”
He concluded that the ceasefire effectively saved Pakistan from further humiliation, despite exaggerated claims of success by its military leadership.
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