‘Pakistan ran like a scared dog...’ Former Pentagon official slams Islamabad

Michael Rubin

Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin stated that India precisely targeted terror infrastructure and effectively blunted Pakistan's response following recent strikes while speaking about the India led Operation Sindoor.

In an interview with ANI, Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said, "Pakistan went running to try to achieve a ceasefire like a scared dog with its tail between its legs" after India disabled their airfields.

Rubin emphasized that the Pakistani military cannot escape the reality that it "lost very, very badly," calling it a "cancer" on Pakistani society and describing its military as incompetent. He questioned whether Pakistan’s military leadership, including Asim Munir, will remain in place, adding, "Pakistan needs to clean house, but it's an open question whether they are too far gone to do that."

Regarding the strikes India conducted on May 7, Rubin said, "India won this both diplomatically and militarily. The reason why India won diplomatically is all attention is now on Pakistan's terrorist sponsorship," highlighted.

He further added that Pakistani officers attended terrorist funerals in uniform. “The fact that Pakistani officers in uniform attended the funeral of terrorists shows that there is no differentiation between a terrorist and a member of the ISI or the Pakistani armed forces. Basically, the world is going to demand that Pakistan extract the rot from its own system. So, diplomatically, India changed the conversation, militarily, Pakistan is shocked” he said.

On India's military triumph over Pakistan, Rubin said, "Militarily, Pakistan is shocked...Pakistan has started every single war with India and yet convinced itself that somehow it has won. It's going to be very difficult for Pakistan to convince itself that it won this 4-day war..."

Tensions between India and Pakistan have followed after terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22 that claimed 26 lives.

In response, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. This operation resulted in the deaths of over 100 terrorists affiliated with groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

After India’s strikes, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling and drone attacks, prompting India to conduct coordinated attacks on Pakistani military infrastructure, damaging radar, communication centers, and airfields. On May 10, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire.

Rubin concluded that India's efforts marked a shift in doctrine and policy toward terrorism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address after Operation Sindoor, emphasized that the operation represented not just a military action but a new stance against terrorism that India intends to maintain.