RAWALPINDI: Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on Sunday warned that any future “misadventure” against Pakistan would invite “extremely far-reaching and painful” consequences.
He made the remarks while addressing a ceremony held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi to mark one year since Pakistan’s victory in last year’s conflict with India.
The conflict — spanning from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the conclusion of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos and the May 10 ceasefire — has officially been named “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth) by the state.
Field Marshal Munir attended the event as the chief guest, while Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf were also present.
Addressing the ceremony, the army chief cautioned that any future aggression against Pakistan would not remain confined in scope.
“Our enemies should know that if any attempt is made in the future to carry out a misadventure against Pakistan, then the impact of war would not be limited, but extremely widespread, dangerous, far-reaching and painful,” he warned.
At the beginning of his speech, Field Marshal Munir termed the occasion a “source of pride” for Pakistan, its people and the armed forces.
He recalled that between the night of May 6 and May 10, the “enemy attempted to test Pakistan’s resolve by violating its sovereignty and territorial integrity”, adding that the country responded with “complete national unity and military force”.
The army chief said Marka-i-Haq was not merely a conventional conflict between two militaries, but “a decisive battle between two ideologies”, in which truth prevailed over falsehood.
Quoting a Quranic verse regarding truth and falsehood, he maintained that the May 2025 conflict was not an isolated incident, but part of what he described as India’s “continuing pattern of exploitative tactics”.
He referred to what he called India’s “false flag operations” in 2001, 2008, 2016 and 2019, saying New Delhi had repeatedly attempted to impose “an illegitimate war” on Pakistan through accusations, exaggeration, warmongering and assumptions of limited aggression.
“Each time, Pakistan exposed the enemy’s wrong estimates and inflicted a decisive defeat,” he asserted, adding that India had once again fallen victim to its “obsolete and self-delusional thinking” during the latest conflict.
Field Marshal Munir said the objective of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos was to expose what he termed India’s pattern of creating war hysteria to divert attention from its internal failures by blaming Pakistan for self-inflicted incidents.
He further said India had wrongly assumed it could alter the regional balance of power and isolate Pakistan diplomatically through military aggression.
“Global and defence experts know that India’s ambitions proved much larger than its actual stature and capabilities,” he remarked, while stressing that Pakistan’s armed forces had never been intimidated by displays of power.
The army chief paid tribute to the martyrs of Marka-i-Haq, including women, children and elderly civilians killed in Indian strikes.
“All martyrs of Marka-i-Haq and their bereaved families are our crown. Your sacrifices guarantee our independence and remain an everlasting debt upon us,” he said.
“We consider our martyrs an amanat, our power a responsibility, and our success a favour from Allah,” he added.
Field Marshal Munir also thanked the president, the prime minister, the federal cabinet, provincial and national political leadership, and all political parties for what he described as their “wisdom, foresight and leadership”.
He said the country’s political leadership and institutions had collectively sent a clear message that there could be “no compromise on Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national honour”.
The army chief further stated that Pakistan achieved success on the diplomatic front as well, with its representatives effectively presenting the country’s stance internationally.
He also praised the Pakistani media, journalists and youth for countering what he described as enemy propaganda, cyberwarfare and psychological operations.
According to the army chief, the conflict was won not only on the battlefield but across every segment of society through national unity and patriotism.
“When the clouds of war loomed, every ideological and individual identity transformed into Pakistaniyat,” he recalled.
“Labourers, traders, students, elders, youth, men and women all stood united for the defence of the homeland.”
He added that the relationship between the nation, government and armed forces had turned the country into “an iron wall” against external aggression.
Field Marshal Munir then recited the Quranic verse from which the name “Bunyanum Marsoos” was derived for Pakistan’s retaliatory operation.
He said Pakistan’s armed forces defeated the enemy beyond expectations through “professional expertise and superior military strategy” across land, air and sea.
The army chief particularly commended the Pakistan Air Force, saying it had “reduced the enemy’s pride to dust” and demonstrated one of the longest and most decisive air battles of the modern era under the leadership of Air Chief Marshal Sidhu.
He claimed the PAF not only shot down several modern Indian fighter jets but also destroyed multiple military installations.
Field Marshal Munir also praised the Pakistan Navy for keeping enemy naval vessels “thousands of miles away” through vigilant monitoring and defence of maritime borders.
He further appreciated troops deployed along the Working Boundary and the Line of Control for repelling Indian aggression and destroying defence positions.
According to the army chief, India suffered “significant human and economic losses” whose consequences would continue in the future.
He stated that Pakistan had successfully targeted more than 26 military installations inside India during the conflict, after which New Delhi sought a ceasefire through international powers.
“Defeated India expressed the desire for mediation through the American leadership, which Pakistan accepted in the interest of wider regional peace,” he said.
The army chief stressed that Pakistan’s defence remained “absolutely invincible” against any foreign aggression.
“We are firmly committed to maintaining the balance of power in the region and preserving effective deterrence,” he said, adding that the armed forces’ primary objective was the protection of peace rather than aggression.
“To maintain peace, it is necessary to remain prepared for war at all times,” he remarked.
Field Marshal Munir observed that traditional wars were becoming obsolete, saying future conflicts would involve multi-domain operations including cyberwarfare, electronic warfare, drones, long-range weapons and artificial intelligence.
To further modernise Pakistan’s armed forces, he said the Defence Forces Headquarters had been established, the national space programme was being expanded, and the Army Rocket Force Command had been formed.
He also cited the induction of Hangor-class submarines into the Pakistan Navy, acquisition of modern fighter jets for the Pakistan Air Force, and the development of the Fatah missile series as examples of military modernisation.
Before the army chief’s speech, Air Chief Marshal Sidhu and Admiral Ashraf laid floral wreaths at the Yadgar-i-Shuhada (Martyrs’ Monument).
Smartly turned-out contingents of the three armed forces presented a salute, followed by the national anthem.
In separate messages issued on Saturday, Field Marshal Munir, Air Chief Marshal Sidhu and Admiral Ashraf congratulated the nation and armed forces personnel on the completion of one year since the success of Marka-i-Haq.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the leaders described the day as one observed with “deep reverence, gratitude and national fervour”.
The statement said Marka-i-Haq had become “a defining landmark” in Pakistan’s national journey, symbolising “national resolve, military excellence and strategic maturity”.
It added that the success strengthened national confidence and established Pakistan as “a responsible regional stabiliser possessing formidable military capabilities”.
The ISPR statement further claimed that Pakistan’s “measured and resolute response” during Marka-i-Haq exposed “adversarial conspiracies, false flag narratives and disinformation campaigns”, thereby weakening their international credibility.
It added that despite conventional and hybrid threats, including proxy terrorism, Pakistan’s armed forces demonstrated operational superiority across land, air, sea, cyber and information domains.
The statement concluded that after Marka-i-Haq, Pakistan had further strengthened its defensive capabilities and reinforced “full-spectrum deterrence” despite existing resource asymmetries.