'We had not even executed half of our plans': Gen Anil Chauhan on why India kept Pakistan waiting for a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor

India deliberately held off on accepting Pakistan's request for a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025, choosing instead to continue military operations until more of its planned strikes had been carried out, retired Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has revealed.

Speaking at a media event, General Chauhan said Pakistan reached out to India through the DGMO hotline around 9.30 am on May 10, seeking an immediate truce. However, India decided to continue its offensive until the afternoon because nearly half of its planned strikes were still pending, according to a report by India Today.

"We had not even executed half of our plans," General Chauhan said, adding that Pakistan realised it would lose "faster" and "further" if the conflict continued.

"Why we did not accept (the truce) at 9.30 am but carried on till afternoon was because we wanted the victory to be more decisive," he further said.

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Pakistan's ceasefire request came as a surprise

General Chauhan, who played a key role in planning and implementing Operation Sindoor, said Pakistan sought a ceasefire believing its strikes on Indian targets had achieved their intended effect while fearing further escalation by India.

Recalling the events leading up to the ceasefire, he said the request from Pakistan came as a surprise.

"It was surprising... This was because on May 9, the kind of rhetoric emerging from the Pakistani side was that they would sort India out in 48 hours," he said.

Between the night of May 9 and the afternoon of May 10, India carried out strikes on 11 Pakistani military sites and airbases, damaging hangars, radar installations and several fighter jets.

General Chauhan said the strikes were meant to send a clear message that no military installation in Pakistan was beyond the reach of the Indian armed forces.

He added that the damage at key sites, including Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, Rahim Yar Khan and Bholari, was so extensive that repairs are still underway.

"Within about eight hours, they (Pakistan) picked up the phone. We had not even executed half of our plans," he said.

Operation Sindoor was launched after Pahalgam attack

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 25 tourists. In the first wave of strikes, Indian forces targeted nine terror camps deep inside Pakistan linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Pakistan retaliated by launching drones and missiles at military installations in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan. Most of the attacks, however, were intercepted or neutralised, after which India expanded its offensive to target Pakistani military infrastructure.

'We had better battlefield transparency'

General Chauhan said India's advantage lay in its ability to assess the impact of military operations much faster than Pakistan.

"We had better battlefield transparency... We knew what our attacks had achieved, what Pakistan's attacks had achieved... we could make decisions faster," he said.

He also said Pakistan attempted to replicate India's ability to carry out deep strikes without crossing the border.

"Pakistan thought that if they could carry out operations in depth and with speed, they would be able to cause substantial damage," the former CDS said.

However, by then, India had already begun targeting Pakistan's airfields. With runways at key bases damaged, Pakistan was unable to launch further sorties.

"The reason why they (Pakistan) called around 9.30 am on May 10 was because of the air power," General Chauhan said. "They thought now it was better to talk. Otherwise, it would go beyond that," he further said.

'India pressed ahead with the third wave of strikes'

Despite the request for a ceasefire, India continued with additional strikes to strengthen its military position. According to General Chauhan, fresh waves of strikes were launched at 10 am and again at 1 pm before New Delhi agreed to halt operations.

"India pressed ahead with the third wave of strikes. It had to be decisive," General Chauhan said.