‘Only Allah can save us now’: Pakistani MP Tahir Iqbal breaks down in Parliament after Operation Sindoor

Published on May 8, 2025

MP Tahir Iqbal speaking at the Parliament on Thursday. (Image: National Assembly of Pakistan official X handle)
NEW DELHI — The tremors of India’s Operation Sindoor are now echoing inside the halls of Pakistan’s Parliament. In an extraordinary and emotional moment, Retired Major and current MP Tahir Iqbal, a former officer of the Pakistan Army, broke down in Parliament, delivering a passionate plea in Urdu, begging Allah to protect Pakistan.
This emotional outburst came just a day after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appealed to the world for help in shielding his country. Now, even Pakistani lawmakers are publicly expressing fear and helplessness in the face of India’s strong response to the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. That response — Operation Sindoor —destroyed nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and PoK, with nearly 100 terrorists reportedly eliminated.
In Parliament, Tahir Iqbal admitted Pakistan's weakness and called for divine intervention. With a trembling voice and tearful eyes, he said,
“Our nation is weak. That’s why I say — come together and pray to our Lord. Oh Lord of the Kaaba, we beg you to protect this country you entrusted to us.”

He went on to say, “This is a country born from prayers. Allah appeared in dreams to our leaders and told them Pakistan would be created. Now, only He will protect it.”
As he broke down, he added, “Allah, please forgive us. We bow before you, we ask for mercy, because we are great sinners.”
This public display of fear and desperation inside Pakistan’s Parliament highlights the psychological impact of India’s response. In retaliation for the Pahalgam attack, India launched precise strikes deep into terrorist hubs, showcasing a new doctrine of rapid and firm military retaliation.
Pakistan, reeling from the strikes, resorted to firing across the LoC, causing Indian casualties. It also attempted to launch drone and missile attacks on Indian cities on Wednesday night, all of which were intercepted and neutralised by Indian air defence systems.
As the situation escalates, one thing is clear — India has shifted from restraint to resolve. And inside Pakistan, that message has hit hard — so hard that their own parliamentarians are left turning not to strategy, but to prayer.