A Pakistani Minister has confessed his nation was compelled to request a ceasefire with India in May after the latter hit two of its airbases in Rawalpindi and Punjab province.

The confession was made by Pakistan Deputy PM Ishaq Dar during a telephone conversation.

India and Pakistan were engaged in a four-day military conflict in May, days after the Indian Armed Forces conducted Operation Sindoor and targeted terror bases in PoK and Pakistan.

In a television interview, Dar was quoted as saying: "They attacked the Nur Khan air base and Shorkot air base... Within 45 minutes, Saudi Prince Faisal called me."

"He said he had then just learnt about my conversation with (US Secretary of State) Marco Rubio. He asked if he was authorised to talk to (India's External Affairs Minister) S Jaishankar and convey that we are ready if they (India) stop. I said yes, brother, you can. He then called me back, saying he had conveyed the same to Jaishankar," Dar was quoted as saying.

India launched Operation Sindoor nearly two weeks after Pakistan-backed terrorists attacked 26 people, mostly tourists, and killed them in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22.

It was one of the deadliest terror attacks witnessed by India in the past six years.

The incident drew worldwide condemnation.

Ishaq Dar has described those terrorists who attacked and killed tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam as 'freedom fighters'.