Islamabad, June 20 -- Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has confirmed that Islamabad requested a ceasefire from New Delhi after India targeted the Nur Khan and other key air bases during Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory strike following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.

India attacked the Nur Khan and Shorkot airbases on the intervening night of May 6 and 7. Dar disclosed that the strikes took place while Pakistan was still getting ready to respond, suggesting that India moved first and took them by surprise.

Within 45 minutes of the strike, Saudi Prince Faisal offered to speak to the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on behalf of Pakistan's deputy PM, seeking to halt further action against Pakistan.

Da...