Addressing a massive gathering on the 18th death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto on Saturday, December 27, 2025, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari revisited the high-stakes military confrontation with India that shook the subcontinent in May 2025. In a rare admission, Zardari revealed that as Indian missiles targeted Pakistani airbases, his military advisors urged him to retreat to a high-security bunker—an order he claims he flatly refused.
The “Bunker” Defiance
Recalling the peak of the hostilities following India’s Operation Sindoor, Zardari stated that he chose to remain in the Presidency rather than hide.
“The military told me to take shelter in a bunker. I told them—if martyrdom is destined, it will happen here. Leaders do not die in bunkers,” Zardari told the crowd to thunderous applause.Claims of Victory: He asserted that Pakistan’s “befitting reply” during the four-day conflict in May was a lesson to New Delhi. He claimed that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) downed seven Indian aircraft (including Rafales and Su-30MKIs) while maintaining “strategic restraint.”
The “Roti vs. Goli” Verbal War
The President’s speech was primarily a direct response to a stern warning issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bhuj, Gujarat, back in May 2025.
Modi’s Warning: Following the Pahalgam terror attack, PM Modi had told the people of Pakistan: “Sukh chain ki zindagi jiyo, roti khao, warna meri goli toh hai hi” (Live a life of peace, eat your bread, or else my bullet is always there).
Zardari’s Retort: On Saturday, Zardari fired back: “Forget about bread and bullets; there will be only bullets. You think you will fire the bullet? It is we who will fire the bullet. We are ready for the sacrifice.”
Flashback: Operation Sindoor (May 2025)
The conflict, which remains the most serious military escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors in years, unfolded rapidly:
The Catalyst: A terror attack in Pahalgam (April 22, 2025) killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists.
The Strike: India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting nine terror camps in PoK and Pakistan’s Punjab province using precision missiles and “Red Teams” for cognitive warfare.
The Escalation: Pakistan retaliated with drone strikes, leading India to pound Pakistani airbases at Nur Khan and Rahim Yar Khan.
The Ceasefire: A fragile truce was brokered via DGMO-level hotline communication on May 10, 2025, which remains in effect despite ongoing diplomatic freezes.
Regional Impact: The “Invisible” Sanctions
While the guns are silent, the “economic war” continues. India has maintained its visa and trade ban, along with the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty data-sharing, which Zardari condemned on Saturday as the “weaponization of water.”