According to him, Pakistan’s defense is now “completely impregnable” against external aggression
Chief of Defense Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, speaking at a grand ceremony commemorating the completion of one year of Pakistan’s historic victory at Marka-e-Haq took place at GHQ, Rawalpindi. SCREENSHOT
ISLAMABAD:
Chief of Defense Force (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Sunday said that Pakistan, its people and its armed forces have achieved “unprecedented success by the grace of Allah”, describing Marka-e-Haq as a decisive battle between two ideologies in which “truth prevailed and lies were 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 end of Pakistan’s one-year victory at Marka-e-Haq was held at GHQ, Rawalpindi, according to the state television channel. Radio Pakistan reported.
At the outset, Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf laid a floral wreath at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada.
CDF Munir also laid a floral wreath at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada and offered fate for the souls of the deceased martyrs.
Addressing the ceremony as the 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 was a decisive battle between two ideologies in which truth prevailed and lies were defeated,” he said.
He added that Pakistan would never allow any attempt to destabilize the regional balance of power. The Marshal said that India dreams of targeting Pakistan through military aggression and diplomatic isolation. “This dream is far beyond his capabilities and Pakistan will never allow it to succeed,” he said.
He paid tribute to all the martyrs and veterans of Marka-e-Haqespecially innocent women, elderly people and martyred children, in the name of the nation and the Pakistani 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 national leaders is that no compromise will be made on national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity.
CDF Munir said the so-called 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 these efforts were aimed at pursuing narrow political and military goals through accusations, exaggerations, warmongering and what he called a misleading narrative of limited aggression.
CDF Munir said that India had suffered serious human and material losses as a result of this war, for which it would continue to pay the price for a long time. He said that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) ‘Fatah Missiles’ and ‘Shaheens’ successfully targeted more than 26 enemy military targets. He added: “Alhamdulillah, Pakistan’s defense today is completely impregnable against any external aggression.”
The marshal warned that “any future adventurism against Pakistan would not have limited consequences but would be extremely dangerous, far-reaching and painful.”
He further said that the Defense Force Headquarters was established to bring Pakistan Armed Forces in line with modern requirements.
CDF Munir also noted that modern warfare would be multi-domain in nature, involving long-range weapons, drones, cyber capabilities and artificial intelligence.
He noted that Pakistan’s leaders and representatives have effectively conveyed the country’s position on the global stage, making significant progress on the diplomatic front. He also commended the media, journalists and especially the youth for countering the enemy’s propaganda, cyberwarfare and psychological operations in a way he described as unprecedented.
He described the Mutual Strategic Defense Agreement between Pakistan and its sister Islamic country Saudi Arabia as a major 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 ‘Islamabad Talks’. He added that 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, especially 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 until the last terrorist was eliminated. He reaffirmed his continued political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri people.
He said Pakistan’s destination is the one envisioned by its forefathers. 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 Pakistani nation is the strength of the country and armed forces are the strength of the nation. He said that the future of Pakistan is, God willing, bright and prosperous. He said that when truth and lies clash, the victory always belongs to the truth. Pakistan was invincible yesterday, it is invincible today and will remain invincible in the future, he concluded.
Attack on Pahalgam and Marka-e-Haq
On April 22, 2025, the escalation between Pakistan and India began when an attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people. India immediately blamed Pakistan for the incident. However, Pakistan has categorically rejected Indian responsibility.
In response, India undertook a series of hostile actions the next day, April 23, 2025, including suspending the 65-year-old Indus Water Treaty (IWT), canceling visas for Pakistani citizens, closing the Wagah-Attari border post, ordering the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to close, and reducing diplomatic staff at each other’s embassies.
Tensions further escalated in the early hours of May 7, 2025, when missile strikes hit six towns in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), destroying a mosque and killing dozens of civilians, including women, children and elderly people.
In a swift military response, Pakistani armed forces shot down Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales. The confrontation escalated again in the wee hours of May 10, 2025, when India targeted several Pakistani airbases with missile strikes. In retaliation, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, damaging Indian military installations including missile storage sites, airbases and other strategic targets.
On May 10, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached following intense diplomatic efforts overnight. Minutes later, the deal was separately confirmed by Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Indian Foreign Minister.
