Pakistan ‘connected the dots’ on May 10, backed off as India’s military moved in: Army chief

Indian army chief General Upendra Dwivedi.

• Pakistan used satellite intel to monitor India and decided to de-escalate tensions.
• Precision strikes on terror camps disrupted Pakistan's decision-making cycle
• India's response to Operation Sindoor aimed to avoid wider conflict.

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Pakistan had real-time satellite information on India’s military movements on May 10 and realised that the situation was about to escalate sharply, prompting it to back off, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi said on Tuesday.

Speaking about the escalation following Operation Sindoor, General Dwivedi said that on the morning of May 10, clear instructions were issued to all three armed forces on the course of action if the fighting intensified.

“On the morning of May 10, certain orders regarding what needed to be done if the fight escalated were issued to all three armed forces. The message of what would happen if the fighting continued was understood by whoever needed to understand it,” he said, adding that he could not reveal all operational details publicly.

According to the Army Chief, Pakistan’s leadership assessed the situation using satellite intelligence, 'connected the dots' and concluded that continuing the confrontation would be a strategic mistake.

“When they connected the dots, they realised that it was the right time to stop the fight,” General Dwivedi said, noting that Pakistan soon reached out to India through Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai to seek a ceasefire understanding.

Precision strikes altered Pakistan’s decision-making

General Dwivedi identified the precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir as the key turning point in the confrontation.

Referring to the opening phase of the operation, he said the 22-minute strikes significantly disrupted the “decision-making cycle on the other side”, without naming Pakistan directly.

“They were shaken and took time to understand what had happened. Since they could not comprehend it immediately, they resorted to throwing stones and firing drones and missiles, whatever they had at their disposal,” he said.

He described these actions as signs of chaos and panic within the Pakistani establishment.

“They could not understand what was happening. There was complete confusion,” the Army Chief said.

‘Measured response, no intent to escalate’

General Dwivedi underlined that India’s response remained calibrated throughout the confrontation and that New Delhi had no intention of pushing the situation towards a wider conflict.

“We gave a measured response. We did not want to push the fighting forward. We achieved the politico-military aim of the operation,” he said.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 last year in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 25 tourists and a pony operator were killed.