‘Pakistan requested us to stop’: Former DGMO recalls Operation Sindoor

Former Director General of Military Operations DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai on Thursday said Pakistan was eventually ldquocompelled to negotiaterdquo and asked India to stop during Operation Sindoor launched after the 2025 Pahalgam terror attackSpeaking at an event in Jaipur marking one year of the operation Lt Gen Ghai described Operation Sindoor as a ldquocalibrated and preciserdquo military response that achieved its objectives without dragging India into a prolonged conflict reported ANIOperation launched after Pahalgam terror attackOperation Sindoor was carried out after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed India responded with targeted military action against terror infrastructure in Pakistanoccupied Jammu and Kashmir PoJK and parts of PakistanLt Gen Ghai who was serving as DGMO during the operation said the mission was carefully planned to inflict maximum damage while avoiding escalationldquoIn an era of prolonged conflicts around the world we struck hard achieved clearly defined objectives and then decided to cease hostilities when the Pakistanis were compelled to negotiate and requested us to stoprdquo he saidHe added that Indiarsquos strategy was aimed at changing the enemyrsquos ldquorisk appetiterdquo and disrupting command systems without entering a longdrawn conflictlsquoAtmanirbhar is a force multiplierrsquoLt Gen Ghai also highlighted the growing role of indigenous defence manufacturing during the operation ldquoOperation Sindoor proved that Atmanirbhar is not just a slogan it is indeed a force multiplierrdquo he said reported the news agencyAccording to him more than 65 per cent of Indiarsquos defence equipment is now manufactured domestically Indigenous systems such as the BrahMos missile Akash air defence system surveillance tools electronic warfare systems and locally produced ammunition played a major role during the operationHe said using homegrown equipment gave India operational flexibility and ensured faster supply and maintenance during military actionJoint triservice operationThe former DGMO described Operation Sindoor as a coordinated triservice effort involving the Army Air Force and maritime capabilities He said the forces operated with shared intelligence and realtime coordination across domainsA total of nine precision strikes were carried out seven by the Indian Army and two by the Indian Air Force ldquoThese strikes achieved total surprise and inflicted maximum damage on terror hubs deep inside Pakistanoccupied Jammu and Kashmir and mainland Pakistanrdquo he saidLt Gen Ghai added that the operation sent a strong signal that ldquono sanctuary is saferdquo reported the news agencyIntelligence and cyber units played key roleHe also praised intelligence agencies cyber units and electronic warfare teams for supporting the operationAccording to him intelligence inputs helped identify precise targets while cyber and electronic warfare teams maintained information dominance during the conflictHe said the government also managed diplomatic outreach internal security and public communication alongside military operations ldquoThe armed forces executed the kinetic phase with discipline precision and minimal collateral impactrdquo he said as per ANIlsquoGold standardrsquo in military coordinationLt Gen Ghai said one of the biggest strengths of Operation Sindoor was the balance between political leadership and operational freedom given to the armed forcesldquoThis balance between firm direction at the top and professional autonomy at the operational level was critical to our successrdquo he saidHe added that the operation demonstrated Indiarsquos ldquowholeofgovernment approachrdquo where ministries intelligence agencies border forces and the armed forces worked together in coordinationAccording to him the operation is now being recognised globally as a ldquogold standardrdquo in military and strategic planningWith ANI Inputs