(Abdul Basit Alvi)
At a major briefing at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, accompanied by senior officials from Pakistan’s navy, air force, and strategic commands, marked the first anniversary of Marka-e-Haq, or the Battle for Truth, by emphasizing Pakistan’s security resolve, restraint, preparedness, and unity. He described the confrontation with a stronger adversary as a modern multi-domain conflict involving land, air, sea, cyber operations, and cognitive warfare over narratives and public perception. According to Chaudhry, Pakistan faced fake news, manipulated videos, and coordinated social media disinformation campaigns targeting soldiers, civilians, and allies, but responded with disciplined, evidence-based communication rather than emotional reactions, frustrating opponents expecting panic. He praised Pakistani personnel for using indigenous systems and innovative tactics despite technological and economic disadvantages and said Marka-e-Haq symbolizes survival, unity, and strategic wisdom rather than destruction. Addressing the Pahalgam incident in Indian-administered Kashmir, he rejected Indian allegations against Pakistan-based militants as baseless because of the absence of forensic evidence, witness testimony, or intelligence disclosures, criticized India for refusing joint investigations, and compared the situation to the aftermath of the Pulwama attack. He argued that India uses such allegations to divert attention from alleged human rights abuses in Kashmir, economic problems, and social unrest while strengthening nationalism and military spending. Chaudhry also accused Indian agencies of supporting terrorism and false flag operations inside Pakistan through militant groups allegedly operating from Afghan territory, claiming Pakistani intelligence traced financial links, operatives, and money transfers connected to attacks on Pakistani targets. He stated that India stages cross-border attacks while portraying itself as a victim of terrorism and insisted Pakistan understands the threats it faces and will not be deceived by what he called theatrical accusations. Despite these tensions, he emphasized that Pakistan exercised restraint as a strategic choice rooted in valuing human life and diplomacy while warning that restraint has limits and the armed forces remain fully prepared to respond to aggression at any time and on any front. He revealed that during recent tensions Pakistan placed air defence systems on high alert, deployed naval ships to strategic chokepoints, stationed special forces along the eastern border, and kept ballistic missiles on standby without fueling or arming them, demonstrating that Pakistan is neither helpless nor afraid. He praised coordination among the army, navy, and air force, highlighted successful real-time joint exercises without communication failures, and commended civilian leadership for supporting the military without political interference, calling this unity Pakistan’s greatest strength and reassuring citizens concerned about war through his calm and factual tone.
Chaudhry reaffirmed Pakistan’s position that Kashmir remains an unresolved issue under United Nations resolutions granting the people of Jammu and Kashmir the right to self-determination, accused India of violating these resolutions for decades and illegally revoking the special status of Indian-administered Kashmir in August 2019, and declared that Pakistan would never abandon the Kashmiri people. He described the Kashmir movement as a political and indigenous struggle rather than terrorism, accused India of suppressing protests through pellet guns, curfews, mass arrests, and detentions without trial, and urged the international community and human rights organizations to investigate conditions in the region. He reiterated that Pakistan seeks a peaceful resolution through dialogue based on UN resolutions, rejected India’s claim that Kashmir is an internal matter, warned that unresolved disputes threaten regional peace, and stressed that Pakistan would continue diplomatic, moral, and political support for Kashmir because of the deep emotional and religious connection Pakistanis feel toward the issue. Beyond external threats, Chaudhry highlighted national unity and counterterrorism efforts as central pillars of Pakistan’s security strategy, praising political parties, civil society, social media campaigns, and religious minorities for showing solidarity with the armed forces during recent tensions, which he said surprised Pakistan’s enemies who expected internal divisions. He stated that attacks inside Pakistan declined significantly after targeted operations against militant infrastructure in Afghanistan, where militants had allegedly used sanctuaries for planning attacks, storing weapons, and crossing into Pakistan, prompting Pakistan to conduct precise border operations that destroyed command centers and killed or captured high-value targets, leading to nearly a sixty percent decline in attacks. He noted that intelligence sharing with Afghanistan had improved somewhat but remained insufficient, emphasized that peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan are interconnected, and warned that Pakistan reserves the right to self-defense if militants continue using Afghan soil. Chaudhry also stressed that Pakistan’s armed forces remain committed to defending national sovereignty through indigenous military capabilities and public support, highlighting the improved Al-Khalid tank with advanced night vision and active protection systems, locally developed drones for surveillance and precision strikes, naval corvettes built in Karachi using local technology, and a modern air defence system combining Chinese, Turkish, and Pakistani components. He said these projects reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, allow customization against specific threats, and are supported by investments in artificial intelligence, space surveillance, and a new cyber command tasked with protecting critical infrastructure such as power grids, dams, and financial networks. While stating that Pakistan does not seek an arms race, he insisted the country would not allow any adversary to gain a technological advantage, thanked the public for prayers, donations, and moral support, and concluded by reaffirming the military’s pledge to defend every inch of Pakistani soil, protect every citizen, and uphold the Constitution. During the question-and-answer session, he answered journalists calmly and directly without avoiding difficult topics or exaggerating achievements, and the briefing received widespread praise across Pakistan from professionals, farmers, students, elders, journalists, former diplomats, and retired military officials, who viewed the transparency, professionalism, sacrifices, and dedication of the armed forces as the source of public confidence, national unity, and resilience that, according to the article, no enemy can break.
