Khawaja Asif warns of stronger response to any future aggression
PHOTO: RADIO PAKISTAN
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said Marka-e-Haq has made it clear that any future aggression will be met with a response far more intense and decisive, Radio Pakistan reported.
On May 13, 2025, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared that May 10 will be observed annually as Youm-e-Marka-e-Haq to commemorate the “magnificent success” of 'Operation Bunyanum Marsoos' and to express national solidarity
In a video statement, the defence minister said the retaliatory capabilities of the Army, Navy, and Air Force are faster and more coordinated than the enemy can imagine.
He said the entire nation stands united with its armed forces as a steel wall.
Asif said the insight and confidence of Pakistani youth are the nation’s true strength and that they know how to defend the country.
Defence Minister @KhawajaMAsif says Marka-e-Haq has made it clear that any future aggression will be met with a response far more intense and decisive#RadioPakistan #News https://t.co/ECGZjNhaSV pic.twitter.com/JD33oyu2Yv
On Tuesday, speaking at the launch ceremony of a picture book titled The Battle of Truth (Marka-e-Haq), published by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) in collaboration with the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the minister said the entire nation stood united against any form of enemy aggression.
Read: Khawaja Asif lauds armed forces, warns against future aggression
He said Pakistan had emerged as a more stable and powerful country and had become a symbol of stability in the region. “We are ready for any kind of Indian proxy war,” he added.
کتاب "معرکۂ حق: دی بیٹل آف ٹرتھ" کی افتتاحی تقریب وزارتِ اطلاعات و نشریات کے زیرِ اہتمام، آئی ایس پی آر کے اشتراک سے منعقد ہوئی۔
آئی ایس پی آر کی ٹیم کی جانب سے نہایت شاندار اور قابلِ تحسین کام کیا گیا۔ آج کی یہ تقریب ایک باوقار اور کامیاب تقریب ثابت ہوئی، جس میں افواجِ پاکستان… pic.twitter.com/Vp3195ZAkWThe minister said the Pakistan armed forces had foiled India’s “nefarious designs” during Marka-e-Haq and successfully neutralised its S-400 air defence system.
He said no country in the region was safe from India’s Hindutva mindset, adding that it had repeatedly imposed wars on Pakistan to divert attention from its internal issues.
Pahalgam 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 the Indian blame.
In response, India undertook a series of hostile actions the next day, on April 23, 2025, including suspending the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), cancelling visas for Pakistani citizens, closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing, ordering the shutdown of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, 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 cities in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), destroying a mosque and killing dozens of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly.
Read More: French intelligence official confirms downing of Rafale by Pakistan
In a swift military response, Pakistan’s armed forces shot down Indian warplanes, including three Rafale jets. The confrontation intensified again in the early 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, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached following intense diplomatic efforts overnight. Minutes later, the agreement was confirmed separately by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Indian foreign secretary.