June 17, 2025 – Islamabad/New DelhiIn a rare and candid admission, senior Pakistani journalist and political analyst Najam Sethi has publicly acknowledged that India’s Air Force (IAF) successfully destroyed Pakistan’s air defense systems during the much-speculated Operation Sindoor, leaving Pakistan vulnerable and unable to counter subsequent Indian airstrikes.Speaking during a televised panel discussion, Sethi said, “India had destroyed our Pak air defense. We couldn’t stop Indian jets from creating havoc afterwards. We were clueless.” His statement marks one of the most significant public acknowledgments yet of the extent of damage inflicted by the Indian military in its recent cross-border operations.According to Sethi, the IAF executed precision strikes to neutralize radar and missile systems early in the operation, following a playbook similar to strategies now being adopted by Ukraine and Israel in their respective theaters of war. “The doctrine India used in Operation Sindoor—knocking out enemy air defenses in the first phase—is exactly what Ukraine and Israel are doing now with massive success,” Sethi remarked.Though Pakistan’s military has neither confirmed nor denied the full extent of these claims, independent analysts and satellite imagery reports had earlier suggested that India’s strikes had effectively blinded Pakistani early warning systems and neutralized several surface-to-air missile (SAM) installations.Operation Sindoor, named after the symbolic red hue signifying precision and dominance, was reportedly launched by India in response to cross-border militant provocations. It marked one of the most intense and coordinated air campaigns conducted by the Indian Air Force in recent years.Sethi’s admission has reignited debate within Pakistan about the country’s defense preparedness and its vulnerability to advanced aerial warfare tactics. It has also drawn comparisons to recent military strategies used by Ukraine against Russia and by Israel in its operations against Iranian missile deployments—both of which emphasize neutralizing enemy air defenses before initiating broader offensives.Indian defense officials have not commented on Sethi’s remarks, but military sources suggest that Operation Sindoor could become a template for future engagements, combining real-time intelligence, cyber disruption, and precision strikes.As regional tensions remain high, this revelation from within Pakistan’s own media establishment could shift the narrative on South Asia’s air power balance and deepen calls for a reevaluation of defense doctrines across the subcontinent.
