The recent Indian strikes under Operation Sindoor on the Nur Khan Airbase, which is next to the Pakistan’s army headquarters, have triggered the relocation buzz on social media.
Speculations are rife that Pakistan is reportedly considering relocating its Army General Headquarters (GHQ) from Chaklala in Rawalpindi to Islamabad. Army Chief residence will also to be moved accordingly. The decision follows precision Indian Air Force (IAF) strikes, under Operation Sindoor' on the Nur Khan airbase on May 10, which caused visible structural damage. Intelligence sources confirmed the plan and linked it directly to the rising security concerns surrounding the existing GHQ location.
Nur Khan airbase, situated just 10 kilometres from Islamabad, is a strategic military site. It sits beside Pakistan’s GHQ and is responsible for housing vital transport aircraft, surveillance systems, and refuelling squadrons.
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Satellite images confirm damage at critical base
Satellite visuals from MIZAZVISION, a Chinese firm, and India’s Kawa Space, showed serious damage to the base. Images captured broken fuel trucks, a collapsed warehouse roof, and debris strewn near the main runway.
Air Marshal A.K. Bharti also presented "before and after" imagery during a press briefing on Sunday, clearly depicting the impact of Indian airstrikes at several spots, including the Chaklala airfield (Nur Khan). The base had been neutralised in a way that, as sources describe, “severed critical links between the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) leadership and its operational units.”
Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan base is next to the Pakistan’s army headquarters. It houses critical assets such as Saab Erieye airborne early warning systems, C-130 transporters and IL-78 refueling aircraft. These systems are vital for surveillance, logistics, and aerial coordination, especially in cross-border operations.
The base was central to Pakistan’s drone warfare campaigns. By attacking it, India disrupted Pakistan’s ability to conduct asymmetric attacks.
During the Nur Khan Khan airbase attack, Indian drones and missiles bypassed Pakistan’s air defence radars and Chinese HQ-9 systems to strike near GHQ.
Moving GHQ would signal desperation, undermining the military’s image. “Relocating GHQ’s command-and-control systems would take years and billions of dollars and is going to be a challenge for a debt-ridden economy," said Indian government sources, reported News 18.