President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday appreciating the “calibrated yet shocking” response to the Indian aggression during Marka-e-Haq last year, reaffirmed that the Pakistani nation and armed forces were well capable and always ready to defend the territorial integrity and national interests in the face of any challenge.
The president, addressing the event held at the Pakistan Monument to commemorate the first anniversary of Marka-e-Haq, recalled that twelve months had passed since one of the most important chapters in Pakistan’s national history.
The event was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, federal ministers, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, diplomats, students and people from different walks of life.
“India chose unprovoked aggression on the basis of false flag Pahalgam incident and launched air strikes on Pakistani civilians and worship places without any justification. Indian media misled their nation by projecting fabricated stories and dreams,” he recalled.
He said that the Pakistani nation and the armed forces under the leadership of Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir gave a “calibrated yet shocking” response to the Indian aggression.
The president said that the Pakistan Air Force proved that they were second to none as the pilots faced a larger adversary with extraordinary skills and confidence and defended the country’s skies with precision. President Zardari highlighted that Pakistan’s victory wasn’t confined to the military domain only as it reflected unity and harmony of its nation. “It gave a message to the world once again, that we remain united, vigilant and resolute like a steel wall.”
President Zardari told the gathering that the issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir needed to be resolved in accordance with UN Resolutions as the Indian atrocities and grave human rights violations had failed to deter brave Kashmiri people.
He reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue its moral, political and diplomatic support to the just cause of Kashmiri people.
He highlighted that the unilateral and illegal attempt by India to suspend Indus Water Treaty amounted to hydro-terrorism.
“Water is life for millions of our citizens. This blatant violation of international laws endangers regional stability and must be addressed with seriousness,” he added. Coming to the Indian-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan through Afghanistan, he sought its end and called upon Afghanistan to not allow its soil to be used for terrorism in Pakistan and other neighbouring countries.
The president also called for an immediate end to the suffering and genocide of innocent women and children in Gaza, reiterating Pakistan’s unwavering support to the legitimate rights of Palestinian people of an independent state with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.
He said that Pakistan wanted peaceful resolution of US-Iran conflict, and that Pakistan’s mediation efforts had been appreciated internationally and had helped to save the region from a larger and more destructive conflict.
In his address, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recalled the “historic” response of Pakistan to India during Marka-i-Haq on Sunday as he addressed a ceremony held at the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad to commemorate the conflict’s first anniversary.
The conflict with India – starting from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the end of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos with a ceasefire between the two countries on May 10 – has been called “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth) by the state. PM Shehbaz began his address by observing one minute of silence for those martyred during the period of conflict.
Recalling the conflict, PM Shehbaz said that India “using Pahalgam as an excuse, made baseless accusations against us”. And despite Pakistan offering a transparent investigation into the incident, the “enemy, in the dark of the night, attacked our mosques and children, imposing an unprovoked war on us”. “Our brave armed forces gave a historic response to the attack that the enemy carried out in the darkness of the night,” he said, adding that “our Shaheens dominated the conflict”.
Consequently, he continued, India was compelled to request a ceasefire after four hours.
He also noted that even one year after the Pahalgam attack, India had not been able to present any evidence of Pakistan’s alleged involvement in the incident.
The premier announced that ‘Youm-i-Bunyanum Marsoos’ would be celebrated on May 10 every year from now onwards.
He paid tributes to the armed forces, particularly mentioning CDF Munir, who he said had set new examples of “bravery and courage” during Marka-i-Haq. He then acknowledged the support of the people extended to the armed forces during the conflict, as well as that of the “brotherly and friendly countries” for Pakistan on the diplomatic front.
The prime minister particularly thanked US President Donald Trump, who he said played a “historic role for peace in the region and to save millions of lives”.
He said had the situation worsened and things escalated further between two nuclear-armed nations, “it is not difficult to assess how disastrous the outcome would have been”.
PM Shehbaz also specifically expressed gratitude to the leadership of Saudi Arabia, China and Turkiye.
Separately, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of the Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir while terming the country’s defence impregnable against any external aggression, on Sunday warned that any future hostile action against Pakistan would have serious, far-reaching and painful consequences.
“Alhamdulillah! today, Pakistan’s defence is fully impregnable against any external aggression, and any future hostile action against Pakistan will have serious, far-reaching and painful consequences,” the COAS vowed while addressing a special ceremony at the General Headquarters (GHQ) to commemorate the first anniversary of Marka-e-Haq victory.
He said that Marka-e-Haq was not merely a war between two countries but a decisive clash between “two ideologies” in which truth ultimately prevailed.
Syed Asim Munir said the events of May 2025 were not isolated, but part of a long pattern of what he described as Indian hostility and propaganda against Pakistan. India’s perceived ambition to isolate Pakistan militarily and diplomatically, and alter the regional balance of power, would never succeed, he reiterated.
The COAS said Pakistan Armed Forces and people had never been intimidated in the past and would not be in the future.
He said the confrontation from the night of May 6-7 until May 10 was an unsuccessful attempt by the enemy to test Pakistan’s national resolve and dignity.
However, he said Pakistan, its people and the armed forces achieved an unparalleled victory in Marka-e-Haq and Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos with the blessings of Allah.
The Field Marshal said that India wanted to isolate Pakistan and alter the balance of power in the region and her dream was to subject Pakistan to military aggression and diplomatic isolation. However, he vowed that Pakistan would never allow India’s “dream” to materialize.
He said that India had forgotten that Pakistan’s armed forces had never bowed to the dominance of power in the past and would never do so in the future.
Paying tribute to the unarmed women, elderly people, and innocent children martyred during Marka-e-Haq, the COAS said that Pakistan regarded the sacrifices of its martyrs as a sacred trust and viewed its strength as a responsibility.
He said the message from the people and national leadership was clear that no compromise would be accepted on Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national dignity.
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said that the false flag operations of 2001, 2008, 2016, and 2019 are a testament to the fact that India has repeatedly made failed attempts to impose an illegitimate war on Pakistan. Each time, Pakistan not only exposed the enemy’s miscalculations but also inflicted a decisive defeat on it, he said.
He said the objective of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos was to “unravel the enemy’s behaviour under which, to divert attention from its internal failures, it creates war hysteria by blaming Pakistan for every self-inflicted incident.”
He said India suffered severe human and financial losses during Marka-e-Haq, and the enemy would continue to pay the price for these losses in the times to come. The COAS said that Pakistan’s strategic missiles and Shaheen systems successfully struck more than 26 enemy military targets.
He said future wars would be multi-domain in nature, involving long-range precision weapons, drones, cyber warfare, and artificial intelligence.
Asim Munir said Pakistan had already taken steps to adapt to modern warfare challenges, including establishing a Rocket Force and Defence Forces Headquarters to enhance coordination among the services.
He said Pakistan also achieved success on the diplomatic front, as its leaders and representatives effectively conveyed Pakistan’s stance on the global stage.
Field Marshal Asim Munir said that India, having ruled out conventional warfare against Pakistan, is now resorting to terrorism. He urged Afghanistan to eliminate terrorist camps and safe havens within its territory.
While reaffirming Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir, the COAS said that no story of Pakistan is complete without Kashmir.
Earlier, COAS Syed Asim Munir, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf laid wreaths at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada (Martyrs’ Monument), offered Fateha, while contingents from the three armed forces presented a ceremonial salute.
Meanwhile, smartly turned out contingents of the three armed services presented salute to the chief guest.