Islamabad/IBNS: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's close aide Rana Sanullah has said his country had only "30-45 seconds" to determine, whether India's BrahMos attack during Operation Sindoor carried a nuclear warhead, and respond.

Speaking to Geo News, Sanullah, a senior politician, said, "When India fired its Harmus (BrahMos) missile that hit our Nur Khan air base, Pakistan had only 30-45 seconds to determine whether it was an atomic war. Just understand how dangerous it was to determine it in just 30 seconds.

"If we had misjudged it as an atomic war and acted accordingly or the other side had responded in that manner, the entire world would have landed in an atomic war which could have caused an unimaginable destruction."

"So Donald Trump's role should be independently evaluated and appreciated if he had intervened at that juncture and saved the world," he added.

Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif admitted India had launched "ballistic missile" on Nur Khan airbase and some other locations on the intervening night of May 9 and 10.

Speaking at a ceremony, Shehbaz recounted he was informed by Pakistan Army's chief General Syed Asim Munir about India's missile attack in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, which was launched by the Indian Armed Forces to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack.

"At around 2:30 am on May 10, General Syed Asim Munir called me on a secure line and told me India had launched its ballistic missiles, one on Nur Khan airbase and others in different areas," the Pakistani Prime Minister was heard saying in a viral video.

Nur Khan Airbase, also known as PAF Base Nur Khan, is a military airbase in Chaklala, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

It is operated by the Pakistan Air Force and plays a crucial role in logistics, VIP transport, and strategic operations.

The Indian Armed Forces had also targeted the Nur Khan airbase during the 1971 India-Pakistan war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh.

Operation Sindoor was a fierce military operation launched by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on May 7, in response to the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists who were enjoying their vacation at Baisaran Valley, which is referred to as India's Switzerland.

The operation aimed to dismantle terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

After the Pakistan Army again targeted Indian civilians and resorted to cross-border firing, the Indian Armed Forces retaliated, destroying defence systems of the hostile neighbour.

On Pakistan's appeal, India responded with a ceasefire on May 10 but Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned of fresh retaliation if Islamabad goes astray.