President Asif Ali Zardari said Pakistan was recognised as a state that not only knew how to defend itself but also served as a guarantor of peace and stability.
In a message on the first anniversary of Marka-e-Haq, he said, “In the context of recent tensions in West Asia, Pakistan, through responsible and balanced diplomacy, played a key role in facilitating a ceasefire between the United States and Iran and bringing both sides to the negotiating table.”
He said, “One year ago, Pakistan was put to the test, and it did not blink. The events of April and May last year were not simply a military episode. They were a moment of national reckoning. When India, under the guise of the Pahalgam false flag operation, launched unprovoked strikes on our soil, targeting mainly civilian areas besides military installations, Pakistan responded with discipline, precision, courage and unity.”
“Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, the decisive centrepiece of Marka-e-Haq, demonstrated what our armed forces are capable of when the country stands behind them as one. Our response was calibrated, measured, precise and proportionate. Our message was unambiguous,” he added.
He said, “Marka-e-Haq showed the world that Pakistan’s deterrence is not a slogan. It rests on professional competence, tri-service coordination and the resolve of a people who shall not accept aggression lying down.”
“We salute our men and women in uniform and we bow our heads in honour of every martyr who gave their life so that this nation could stand tall. It is part of our DNA that when a war is imposed on us, every Pakistani becomes a soldier, some in uniform and most without,” he continued.
“Our efforts helped avoid further bloodshed and contributed to stabilising the broader regional environment. Pakistan will continue its efforts to promote peace, dialogue and stability wherever it can make a difference,” he said adding, “I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that the Kashmir dispute remains the root cause of instability in this region. No honest account of South Asia’s security challenges can avoid that truth. The aspirations of the Kashmiri people, enshrined in United Nations Security Council resolutions, have not been extinguished by decades of occupation. They shall not be. Pakistan’s commitment to a just and lawful resolution remains unchanged.”
He said, “India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty is tantamount to weaponisation of water. The Treaty, brokered by the World Bank and signed in 1960, has survived four wars and sixty-five years of bitter rivalry between two nuclear-armed neighbours. It was designed to be beyond the reach of political crises. India’s decision to put it in abeyance, without any legal basis for unilateral suspension, is a threat to the livelihoods of millions. Water is not a bargaining chip. Pakistan shall defend its water rights with the same resolve it has shown in defence of its territory.”
“We also reiterate our position on terrorism with complete clarity. Pakistan is a victim of terrorism. We remain determined to root out the Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan in all their manifestations. We have engaged the Afghan de facto authorities with seriousness and expect that commitments made under the Doha framework, that Afghan territory will not be used against Pakistan or any other state, are honoured fully,” he stressed.
He said, “Pakistan seeks no conflict. But it shall never accept thuggish, coercive behaviour. We are committed to sovereignty, to international law, and to a stable region where differences are resolved through dialogue rather than domination.”
“Marka-e-Haq is now etched into our national consciousness. It was not a moment we sought, but the one we met with everything we had. Let it stand, each year, as a reminder that a nation which knows its worth will always find the strength to defend it,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that Pakistan can neither be “intimidated nor subdued by any aggressor” as the nation marks the first anniversary of Marka-i-Haq.
“Marka-i-Haq bears testimony that Pakistanis are a peace-loving, yet courageous, resilient, and dignified nation who can neither be intimidated nor subdued by any aggressor,” said the premier in a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The prime minister, expressing his gratitude to the Almighty, said the day commemorates Pakistan’s “valiant stand in adversity” and the “crushing defeat” inflicted upon India.
“The nation pays tribute to its martyrs, their families and the ghazis who stood like a steel wall to defend their homeland,” said the statement.
The premier said the well-coordinated and synchronised response by Pakistan’s armed forces across land, sea, air and cyber domains established Pakistan as an “invincible nation”.
He said Marka-i-Haq is etched in history as an “epic feat of achieving overwhelming dominance over an enemy, bent on unprovoked aggression”.
PM Shehbaz maintained that India was administered a “heavy dose of reality serum to dispel its illusion of invincibility”.
He maintained that there should be no doubt that any aggression to undermine the country will be met with immediate, befitting and full-spectrum response, adding that the nation “stand determined and vigilant to ensure security” along its frontiers.
The premier also paid tribute to Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for his bold and courageous leadership and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber and Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf for their strategic prudence, added the statement.
“We also salute officers and soldiers of the valiant Armed Forces, who, with unflinching support of the Pakistani nation, inscribed a new chapter in Pakistan-India context,” said the PMO statement.
He maintained that Pakistan clearly manifested its desire for peace during the conflict, while also re-establishing deterrence and safeguarding its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Referring to terrorism in Pakistan, the prime minister said the nation remains “steadfast in our efforts to root out ‘Fitna al Khawarij’ and ‘Fitna al Hindustan’ and take the fight against terrorism to its logical conclusion”.
On occupied Kashmir, the premier maintained that it remains an unfinished agenda of Partition and strategic stability in the region would remain a distant dream without resolution of the Kashmir issue.
“Strategic stability in South Asia, without the resolution of Kashmir issue, would remain a distant dream which needs to be resolved in accordance with the United Nations resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Pakistan shall continue to stand by the fundamental right of freedom and self-determination of Kashmiri people,” said the statement.
Prime Minister Shehbaz elaborated that a year on, Pakistan is recognised as a responsible nation that “not only knows how to defend itself, but has also emerged as a guarantor of global peace and stability”.
Touching on recent efforts to end the Iran-US conflict, the premier said the country has earned worldwide acknowledgement for its role as a key mediator and its efforts to end the violence.
“Commemorating the sacrifices of our martyrs during Marka-i-Haq, let us pledge to face our adversaries like a ‘Steel Wall’ and work selflessly for the destined glory of this great homeland,” the statement concluded.
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu also extended heartfelt congratulations to the nation and all ranks of Armed Forces.
Meanwhile, a ceremony to mark the first anniversary of Pakistan’s success in Marka-e-Haq will be held on Sunday at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Staff (CDF), Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, will grace the occasion as the chief guest.