Pakistan declares emergency after Indian strikes cripple vital airstrips

In the aftermath of devastating Indian airstrikes on May 10 that severely damaged multiple military airbases across Pakistan, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has initiated logistics to activate its emergency airstrips on national highways. Sources confirm that revalidation exercises for the M1 and M2 emergency airstrips - located on the Islamabad-Peshawar and Islamabad-Lahore motorways - are scheduled for this week.

This development comes in the wake of a massive precision air operation conducted by the Indian Air Force on May 10, which struck 11 Pakistani military sites in a pre-dawn offensive as part of Operation Sindoor. The strikes, executed using air-launched precision munitions, targeted high-value airbases in Rafiqui, Murid, Nur Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur, and Sialkot.

Satellite images shared by Indian defence sources showed extensive destruction: blown-up runways, collapsed hangars, and charred infrastructure. At Rahim Yar Khan, a giant crater tore through the main airstrip. Pasrur, Chunian, and Arifwala saw air defence radars heavily damaged.

The Nur Khan airbase in Chaklala - home to Pakistan's key transport squadrons, including C-130 Hercules and IL-78 mid-air refuelers - was also hit. Located perilously close to the Strategic Plans Division, which oversees Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, the strike on Nur Khan sent shockwaves through Islamabad.

Another significant target was the Mushaf airbase in Sargodha. Satellite evidence indicated strikes on its runway. The base is reportedly linked to underground nuclear storage near the Kirana Hills. Indian Air Marshal AK Bharti later denied any intention to strike nuclear assets, saying there was no hit on Kirana Hills or "whatever is there".

Sources say the strikes inflicted operational paralysis on more than eight airbases, leaving Pakistan in a state of shock over the sudden collapse of its aerial infrastructure.

As a result, Pakistan is now turning to its contingency plans, trying to restore at least some aerial capability through highway-based emergency runways. However, even these motorways bore the brunt of the Indian assault, with visuals showing massive craters in the middle of key highways.

The attack reportedly sparked panic within the Pakistani leadership. On May 10 itself, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened a meeting of the Command Authority - the country's apex nuclear decision-making body - although Islamabad officially denied it. Indian officials, meanwhile, described the strikes as a "decisive signal" of intent and capability.

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