'If 138 soldiers have been given a gallantry award as 'shaheed' (by Pakistan) for Operation Sindoor, how many would have been the actual casualties. This decides who won.'
Lieutenant General K J S Dhillon (retd) on Saturday shared his insights on India's Operation Sindoor, highlighting key aspects of the operation, emphasising India's strategic victory.
In an interview with ANI, General Dhillon said India struck 11 Pakistani airbases with precision on May 10, with none of India's missiles intercepted by Pakistan's air defence.
"...On 10th May, when we struck 11 airbases with precision, not a single missile of ours could be intercepted by Pakistani air defence -- that is victory. When not a single aircraft of the Pakistan air force could fly out and intercept our projectiles -- that is victory," General Dhillon told ANI.
Pakistan's air force couldn't intercept Indian projectiles, and their DGMO begged for a ceasefire, contacting India's DGMO at 3:35 PM on May 10, adding that Pakistan sought mediation from countries like America and Saudi Arabia for a ceasefire, contrasting India's stance against third-party mediation, General Dhillon added.
"When Pakistan DGMO calls up our DGMO at 3.35 and 10th May and requests, literally begging for a ceasefire -- that is victory. When they go running to America or to Saudi Arabia, asking for mediation and a ceasefire -- that is victory. When we say that we don't want a third-party mediation as a policy -- that is victory," General Dhillon said.
Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir, General Dhillon claimed, hid himself in a bunker during Operation Sindoor and elevated himself to the position of a field marshal to avoid public scrutiny.
"The only army chief who went into a bunker during the operations and the only army chief who elevated himself to a field marshal just to avoid public scrutiny. Also, the only army chief to be accompanying the head of State to the SCO meeting," General Dhillon said.
Munir was elevated to the rank of field Marshal on May 20, 13 days after India struck terror bases in Pakistan and 10 days after an agreement on cessation of hostilities was reached. Munir is the second Pakistan army officer to be elevated to this rank after then president Ayub Khan, the first army chief of independent Pakistan.
"Only the army chief to be called by the American president for lunch. So much for democracy, so much for sporting the democratic structure. The Pakistan army is the only army in the world which has never won a war, the only war in the world after World War II had 93,000 surrenders," General Dhillon added.
The general, who served as director general of the Defence Intelligence Agency and deputy chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (Intelligence) under the chief of defence staff from March 2020 to January 2022, is currently the chairperson of the board of governors of the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi.
General Dhillon said the "weapons lobby" had tried to create a narrative of India losing certain aircraft to Pakistan's defence system during Operation Sindoor in order to protect their business interests.
"The fight was going on here at the India-Pakistan border, and narrative building was going on somewhere else. The weapons lobby is setting a narrative as to who lost how many aircraft. The game was being played somewhere else..." General Dhillon said
"Because if India is declared a winner, it means that Indian, Russian, and French weapon systems are better than those of China, Turkey, or the Western Bloc. The Third World countries that are the net buyers of the defence equipment, all the orders will come to this bloc."
He stressed that victory in war is not determined by isolated losses but by the ultimate outcome.
Highlighting the "battle of narratives," he pointed out that 138 officers and soldiers were honoured as shaheed by Pakistan for Operation Sindoor, suggesting the actual number of casualties was likely higher.
"If 138 soldiers and officers have been given a gallantry award as 'shaheed' (by Pakistan) for Operation Sindoor, how many would have been the actual casualties. This decides who won."
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