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Express Tribune
5 days ago
- General
- Express Tribune
Armed Forces congratulates nation on 78th Independence Day
The armed forces are celebrating Pakistan's 78th Independence Day with traditional zeal and fervour today (August 14) with activities planned across the country. The day's festivities began with celebratory messages to the people from service chiefs of the armed forces. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, on behalf of the Armed Forces, extended felicitations to the nation on Pakistan's78th Independence Day. 'As we pay homage to our founding fathers, we honor their indomitable spirit, resolute determination, and unparalleled sacrifices under the visionary leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, sacrifices that paved the way for independence. Their courage, foresight and unshakeable faith in the cause of freedom remain an enduring beacon of guidance,' read a statement issued by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). 'The unbreakable bond between the Armed Forces and the people is the cornerstone of our collective strength. On this Independence Day, let us renew our resolve to strive for peace, progress, and unity, upholding the ideals of Faith, Unity, and Discipline to realize the dream of a resilient, prosperous, and progressive Pakistan,' the statement added. The Pakistan Air Force's annual flypast featuring featuring fighter jets was slated for 1.30pm today. A Change of Guard ceremony was held at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi to mark Independence Day anniversary. Cadets of the Pakistan Naval Academy assumed duties of ceremonial guards at the mausoleum, a tradition observed every year on August 14. The Pakistan Navy's ceremonial guard comprised two contingents — one of sailors and the other of cadets from the Pakistan Naval Academy. The sailors' platoon was led by Lieutenant Ali Hassan, while the cadets' platoon was commanded by Chief Cadet Captain Muhammad Zain. Commandant Pakistan Naval Academy Commodore Tassawar Iqbal was the chief guest, while parade commander duties were performed by Lieutenant Commander Samiullah. The Pakistan Navy guards presented a national salute to Quaid-e-Azam, after which the chief guest inspected the newly deployed guards. Commodore Tassawar Iqbal laid a floral wreath at the mausoleum, offered Fateha and recorded his remarks in the visitors' book.
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
After Operation Sindoor, don't delay the stocktaking
While Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir's oration at the Pakistan Naval Academy on June 28 has drawn considerable media focus, there is a need to assess how much attention India should pay to his utterances. The rabble-rousing tone and toxic India-baiting content of his speech, ill-befitting the occasion — a navy passing-out parade — was a clear sign of insecurity in the face of widespread public criticism of the Pakistan army in general and his promotion in particular. Notwithstanding the banality of his words, we must recognise that since Field Marshals do not retire, Munir, if he so chooses, will be around for a long time — either as Army Chief or as political puppet master. By harping on Hindu-Muslim schisms and framing India as an 'existential threat' to its perpetual 'victim', Pakistan, Munir seeks to gain favour with the public and cement a political niche for himself, sidelining the civilian regime. Given Munir's continued malevolent presence, India must steel itself to face escalating tensions. In all likelihood, it was his inflammatory rhetoric that triggered Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and its terror proxies to plan and launch the Pahalgam strike. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech on May 12, unequivocally spelt out four core principles that would govern India's future policy against terrorism. Optimists amongst us are hopeful that this declaration of India's 'red lines' by the PM will cause the Pakistan 'deep state' to pause and perhaps mend its ways. Sceptics, however, believe that it is only a matter of time before the ISI initiates yet another terror strike on India. In these circumstances, no time must be lost in analysing threadbare Operation Sindoor and disseminating the lessons learnt — at the strategic, operational and tactical levels — before we are faced with a similar crisis once again. In this context, we have the admirable precedent of the Vajpayee government, which constituted the Kargil Review Committee on July 29, 1999 — a mere three days after the cessation of hostilities. The urgency here is even more marked since this '90-hour war' saw an unimaginable leap in the level of technologies employed in combat and the dizzying pace of kinetic action. While India asserted its success in achieving its objectives of targeting terrorist infrastructure and demonstrating a markedly bolder and more resolute deterrence strategy, there are several aspects that require urgent review and analysis. First, we were found wanting in strategic communication and narrative-building. While the conflict generated unprecedented levels of hyperbolic distortion and disinformation from media on both sides, India's lag in official narrative-building allowed Pakistan to steal a significant march. Compared to Pakistan's proactive media outreach and timely official briefings, Indian briefings were often reactive, and failed to put across, our notable military successes. Second, the issue of aircraft losses suffered by India was ineptly handled across the board. Since aircraft attrition is an inevitable consequence in combat, there was little to be gained by concealing or acting coy about Indian Air Force (IAF) losses. The exaggerated Pakistani claims could not be logically countered by the dribbles of information coming first from the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore and then from a seminar in Indonesia. A forthright admission, followed by an account of the next day's devastating Indian response, which claimed six Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighters and two other aircraft, would have boosted the credibility of our narrative. Third, the extensive employment of 'beyond visual range' or BVR air-to-air missiles and advanced airborne radars in this conflict has proved a major game-changer in air combat. This demands urgent in-depth study and analysis. The aerial engagements on the night of May 7/8 between the two South Asian air forces, involving over 100 aircraft, were unprecedented and have captured the attention of air power analysts worldwide. A comprehensive review of what is being termed, 'the largest BVR air combat in history' during Operation Sindoor is best undertaken by the IAF's esteemed Tactics and Combat Development Establishment, particularly against the backdrop of our past experience of 'aerial ambushes' in Kargil and in the post-Balakot encounters. The lacunae in equipment and intelligence as well as lessons learned and changes required in training, tactics and strategies must be addressed post-haste. Rising above the minutiae of physical conflict, we need to remind our decision-makers that wars, if inevitable, must be waged only to eliminate the casus belli and achieve a stable and enduring peace. This places three responsibilities on the country's political leadership: (a) to lay down, clear aims for which armed action is being initiated; (b) to specify, to the military, the desired 'end-state' to be achieved, before termination of hostilities; and (c) to ensure that adequate resources are provided — in time — for the action contemplated. There is scant authentic information on these aspects in the public domain. The waters have been further muddied by US President Donald Trump's insistent claims of brokering peace. In the face of incessant commentary by Western observers about the risks of nuclear first use in South Asia, it was reassuring to hear from India's CDS about the 'rationality and maturity', displayed by both sides in avoiding escalation to the nuclear threshold. The extensive utilisation of cyber warfare and missiles as well as unmanned vehicles enabled both sides to wage 'non-contact warfare'. This calls for a comprehensive doctrinal re-think about the future of manned combat platforms. Moreover, the sheer intensity of this brief eruption and rapid expenditure of (expensive) munitions should lead to reflection about the status of our 'war wastage reserves', and their replenishment. In essence, the May 2025 conflict served as a stark reminder of the volatile nature of the India-Pakistan relationship and the critical need for robust crisis management mechanisms as well as military preparedness. The intent of Operation Sindoor was 'deterrence by punishment' but as we await its long-term impact, India's national security establishment needs to think long and hard about alternate strategies to address the casus belli. The writer is a former Indian Navy chief and chairman, Chief of Staff Committee
NDTV
02-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
The Strange Reasons Behind Asim Munir's Anti-India Tirades
Munir is at it again. The newly minted Field Marshal of Pakistan, while addressing the cadets of the Pakistan Naval Academy recently, burst into yet another tirade against India, tickboxing Kashmir, India's 'aggressiveness' and ironically calling his country a 'net regional stabiliser'. That in itself should have had the audience in splits, given his country's shelter for terrorists of all hues, and for all neighbourhoods, not barring China at one time, and Iran still. It would be ridiculous were it not so dangerous. The question is, why is Munir at it again, together with his echo chamber and political minions? The Harangue Apart from the expected language about the "oppressed people" of Kashmir - more than 14,000 of whom have been murdered by his jihadis - he warned against India's "unprovoked aggression" in 2019 and 2025 and said that Pakistan's "measured response" had prevented escalation. Then came a bizarre statement that India "creates tensions" when Pakistan is close to winning its war against terrorism. Considering that Pakistan's terrorist totals have been steadily growing according to its own and global reports, and that the number of those killed and 'disappeared' in ham-handed 'counter terrorism' operations continues to increase, this seems like the usual blame game. But one does need to see what this particular outrage is aimed at. Remember, Munir made a similar tirade just five days before Pahalgam happened. In an eerie replay, the attack that killed 13 Pakistani soldiers was just a day before this particular shouting match. Not just that. Very unusually, Pakistan blamed India for the attack. It usually doesn't. The 'Victory' Quoting from the Koran, Munir then declared, "How often has it happened that a small number defeated a large number ...". That applies to Pakistan and the (US-sponsored) jihad movement that defeated the Soviet Union. But it certainly doesn't apply to the Pakistan army, which lost every single war it fought with India, including Kargil. Even so, one has to hand it to Pakistan. It has managed to turn everything into a 'victory' with some smart media legwork. After Balakot, it declared that all India hit were some trees, not terrorist camps; it even accused India of 'eco-terrorism' against a reserved forest. This was accepted by the general media given the lack of adequate proof. During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan claimed it hit several Indian aircraft. That the Indian Armed Forces then went on to strike every single sensitive air base, including Sargodha, the holiest of the holies, mattered not at all. It was still a 'win'. At some point, Delhi needs to examine what Pakistan deems a 'victory'. The High Comes Down Low Here's the core issue, though. There is no doubt that Munir and the army were on a popular high immediately after Operation Sindoor, with his many misdemeanours, including jailing not just a Prime Minister - par for the course in Pakistan - but also an ISI chief, forgotten. Glory, however, dissipates fast during peacetime. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is finding that out the hard way, with a 2022 case for corruption reopened against him almost immediately after the war closed. Munir has had his own embarrassment. Right Munir gloriously proposed a Nobel Peace prize for Trump, the latter launched a bombing campaign on Pakistan's neighbouring Muslim state. Naturally, this necessitated a turnaround for Pakistan; ultimately, in its 'official' response, it was compelled to 'condemn' the American attack. That dual position has led to memes on X, most notably pointing at Munir's willingness to knife Iran in the back. Back to Basics Meanwhile, speculation is rife about what Munir has offered in return for what was truly a high-profile, never-seen-before lunch. The most obvious answer is intel on Iran, which Pakistan has provided for years. At this critical point, when no one is really sure whether Iran's nuclear ambitions are still in play, this becomes critical. Sure, there are other actors, such as the Azeris and Iraqis. But America's CENTCOM (Central Command) has operated from here for years. Besides, there is no need for traditional 'bases' in the age of long-range drones. Possible also are small groups of Special Forces, and overflight rights. For India, here's the bottom line: as long as US forces are on the ground, it will be difficult for India to attack Pakistan in response to another terrorist strike. Watch their space. The Echo Chamber Speaks Meanwhile, look at the preparation by Munir's echo chamber. A certain well-known journalist has claimed that he has information about 'secret' plans, that India and Israel are planning to attack Pakistan's nuclear sites. He quotes a June 18 tweet by Israeli Professor Meir Masri, who is the director of geopolitics at Hebrew University Jerusalem and former deputy minister of defence: "After Iran's campaign, we may seek to dismantle Pakistan's nuclear programme". He quotes a few more academics in this regard and references posts on Indian accounts. This is the 'secret' plan that's apparently supposed to be the apex point of 'Operation Sindoor 2'. This might have been dismissed as clickbait in another case. But it may well be that Pakistan is preparing for a possible attack by India - naturally after what it always calls a 'false flag' terror strike. That has been its claim for years. All this is echoed by the rather unpredictable Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, and other politicians. Water As A Pretence Then there is the very real fact that by October, the next sowing season will start, and India would likely again reduce the water flow - or so it is alleged - of other dams. In May, it had carried out the first desilting operations on Baglhiar and Salal, the first such exercise since their inception. That requires the dam to be first flushed out - sending silt down the river - and then filled up again, which takes about a month. The press release by the Indus River Systems Authority (IRSA) of Pakistan did take a 'unanimous' view that available water for the kharif crop had dropped precipitously due to reduced water release by India, but only as part of an overall decrease. The IRSA has been the focus of criticism for its inability to maintain its canals and for not increasing Pakistan's legitimate water storage capability over the years. Therefore, while there is a strong element of 'crying wolf', the Pakistan army, now fully in control of the state with a civilian government existing only in name, will have to take note. Again, the echo chamber - notably, Bilawal Bhutto - has been warning of war on the question of the Indus treaty 'abeyance'. The Contours Of Terrorism Finally, Trump is expected to arrive in India for the upcoming Quad summit, and given very long 'traditions', one can't rule out a terrorist incident coinciding with his visit. Even the recent Pahalgam attack happened when Vice President JD Vance was in India. With the President's appetite for mediation, that would be an opportune time. In fact, far too many aspects are coinciding at more or less the same time to afford us any degree of comfort. There are also some other curious aspects to terrorism that need to be noted. On May 25, in a tragic accident in Balochistan, a horrifying attack on an army school bus killed 40 children. This came well after Operation Sindoor had ended and when a 'ceasefire' was in place. The incident was horrifying and quite unlike any recent India-Pakistan clash. Remember that India had observed a two-minute silence in Parliament when a similar attack hit the Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014. Surely, no national leader would authorise such a strike, and, in actual fact, India and Pakistan have in recent years limited their strikes to security personnel. Something doesn't smell right. Does someone else intend to keep Delhi and Pakistan suitably destabilised? It might be a good idea to put our heads together on this one.
Hans India
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Pak army chief justifies terror groups' ops in J&K
Islamabad: Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Saturday backed terror groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir, justifying their actions (what India has described as terrorism) as a 'legitimate struggle'. Addressing a graduating parade at the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi, Munir explained that Islamabad would even continue providing political, diplomatic, and moral support to the Kashmiri people. Munir's inflammatory comments come just a day before the Indian Army stopped an infiltration attempt by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) at the Keri sector of Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir—two days before the annual Amarnath Yatra. A group of heavily armed militants were challenged, leading to a gunfight that killed at least two of them. A local guide, arrested after suspicion of having assisted them, is now being questioned by security agencies. Munir, who is no stranger to spreading inflammatory anti-India rhetoric, also declared in his speech that India had 'twice undertaken acts of unprovoked aggression against Pakistan', and the onus of any future escalation would 'squarely lie with the aggressor'. 'Pakistan, despite grave provocations, acted with restraint and maturity, and demonstrated its commitment to regional peace and stability, which has led to Pakistan's role as a net regional stabiliser,' Munir said.
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Business Standard
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Pak army chief describes terrorism in J&K as 'legitimate struggle'
Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir has described terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir as a "legitimate struggle", saying his country would always stand by the people of Kashmir in their struggle. Field Marshal Munir also warned India of a befitting response in case of any future attack, weeks after the two nations briefly locked horns in a dangerous conflict. "What India labels as terrorism is, in fact, a legitimate and lawful struggle for freedom, recognised by international law," Munir said while addressing a passing out ceremony at Pakistan Naval Academy, Karachi, on Saturday. "Those who have tried to suppress the Kashmiri people's will and pursue conflict elimination instead of resolution have only made the movement more relevant through their own actions," he claimed. He said that Pakistan would always stand by the people of Kashmir in their struggle for the right to self-determination. "Pakistan is a strong advocate for a just resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with United Nations resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, he added. In the past, Munir had described Kashmir as Pakistan's "jugular vein". India has repeatedly told Pakistan that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh "was, is and shall forever remain an integral part of the country. The ties between the two countries nosedived after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcating the State into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019. In his address, Munir also claimed that Pakistan proved itself as a "net region stabiliser after having repelled the Indian military attack twice. He was apparently referring to the 2019 Balakot strike after the Pulwama terror attack and the recent Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack. "Pakistan, despite grave provocations, acted with restraint and maturity and demonstrated its commitment to regional peace and stability, which has led to Pakistan's role as a net regional stabiliser," he claimed. "As we steadily, but surely, build our comprehensive national power, any enemy acting on the perceived vulnerability of Pakistan under the illusion of strategic impunity or miscalculation, would get a swift and a very befitting response," he said. The army chief also said that undeterred by the efforts by adversaries, Pakistan would continue on the path of progress, development and prosperity. He also reaffirmed the armed forces' commitment to eradicating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, vowing to take the fight to its logical conclusion.
