He says Pakistan’s defense is now “completely impregnable” against external aggression.
Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir speaking at Headquarters Rawalpindi A grand ceremony was held to mark one year of Pakistan’s historic victory at Marka-e-Haq. SCREEN CAPTURE
ISLAMABAD:
Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Sunday said Pakistan, its people and its armed forces had achieved “unprecedented success by the grace of Allah”, describing Marka-e-Haq as a decisive battle between two ideologies in which “truth prevailed and falsehood was defeated.”
The term “Marka-e-Haq”refers to the 2025 conflict with India, which began with the Pahalgam attack on April 22 and concluded with a ceasefire on May 10 following Operation Bunyanum Marsoos.
A grand ceremony marking the one-year completion of Pakistan’s victory at Marka-e-Haq was held at the Rawalpindi Headquarters, according to the state broadcaster. Radio Pakistan reported.
At the beginning, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf laid wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada.
CDF Munir also laid a wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada and offered fatha for the souls of the departed martyrs.
Addressing the ceremony as chief guest, CDF Munir said that Pakistan, its people and its armed forces had achieved unprecedented success by the grace of Allah. “Marka-e-Haq “It was a decisive battle between two ideologies in which truth prevailed and falsehood faced defeat,” he said.
He added that Pakistan would never allow any attempt to destabilize the regional balance of power. The field marshal said India dreams of attacking Pakistan through military aggression and diplomatic isolation. “This dream is far beyond their capacity and Pakistan will never allow it to succeed,” he said.
He paid tribute to all the martyrs and veterans of Marka-e-Haqparticularly the innocent women, the elderly and children who were martyred, in the name of the nation and the Pakistan Armed Forces. He said that the sacrifices of martyrs are a trust, our strength is a responsibility and our success is a blessing from Allah Almighty.
He added that the message from the people and the national leadership is that no compromise will be made on national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity.
CDF Munir said the alleged false flag operations of 2001, 2008, 2016 and 2019 reflected what he described as repeated but unsuccessful attempts by India to impose an illegitimate conflict on Pakistan.
He added that those efforts were aimed at pursuing narrow political and military objectives through accusations, exaggerations, warmongering and what he called a misleading narrative of limited aggression.
CDF Munir stated that India suffered serious human and material losses as a result of this war, the cost of which it will continue to pay for a long time. He said “Fatah missiles” and “Shaheens” of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) successfully targeted more than 26 enemy military targets. He added: “Alhamdulillah, Pakistan’s defense today is completely impregnable against any external aggression.”
The field marshal warned that “any future adventurism against Pakistan would not have limited consequences but would be extremely dangerous, far-reaching and painful.”
He further stated that Defense Force Headquarters has been established to align Pakistan’s armed forces with modern requirements.
CDF Munir also noted that modern warfare would be multi-domain in nature and involve long-range weapons, drones, cyber capabilities and artificial intelligence.
He noted that Pakistan’s leaders and representatives effectively conveyed the country’s position on the global stage, making significant progress on the diplomatic front. He also praised the media, journalists and, in particular, the youth for countering enemy propaganda, cyber warfare and psychological operations in a manner he described as unparalleled.
He described the strategic mutual defense agreement between Pakistan and its brother Islamic country Saudi Arabia as an important milestone in Pakistan’s diplomatic achievements. He said that today Pakistan, through effective, responsible and non-aligned diplomacy, is hosting historic peace negotiations known as the ‘Islamabad Talks’. He added that by considering a conventional war with Pakistan impossible, India is once again resorting to the malicious path of terrorism.
He urged Afghanistan to eliminate terrorist centers and sanctuaries from its soil. He paid tribute to the brave people of Pakistan, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, and the brave personnel of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies. He said Pakistan would avenge every drop of innocent Pakistani blood and the fight against terrorism would continue till the elimination of the last terrorist. He reaffirmed continued political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Kashmir.
He said that the destiny of Pakistan is as foreseen by its ancestors. He added that Pakistan’s green crescent flag is a symbol of hope and its armed forces are organized and always ready. He said that the Pakistani nation is the strength of the country and the armed forces are the strength of the nation. He stated that the future of Pakistan is, God willing, bright and prosperous. He said that when truth and falsehood confront each other, victory always belongs to the truth. Pakistan was invincible yesterday, it is invincible today and will remain invincible in the future, he concluded.
Pahalgam and Marka-e-Haq attack
On April 22, 2025, escalation between Pakistan and India began when an attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people. India immediately blamed Pakistan for the incident. However, Pakistan categorically rejected India’s blame.
In response, India took a series of hostile actions the next day on April 23, 2025, including suspending the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), canceling visas for Pakistani citizens, closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing, ordering the closure of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, and reducing diplomatic staff in each country’s embassies.
Tensions escalated further in the early hours of May 7, 2025, when missile strikes hit six cities in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), destroying a mosque and killing dozens of civilians, including women, children and the elderly.
In a swift military response, Pakistan’s armed forces shot down Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale jets. The standoff escalated again in the early hours of May 10, 2025, when India attacked several Pakistani air bases with missile strikes. In retaliation, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, which damaged Indian military installations, including missile storage sites, air bases and other strategic targets.
On May 10, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached after intense overnight diplomatic efforts. Minutes later, the agreement was confirmed separately by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and India’s Foreign Minister.
