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  "path": "/news/1999113/cdf-munir-warns-pakistans-response-to-any-future-misadventure-will-be-extremely-widespread-painful",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-10T07:46:27.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.dawn.com",
  "tags": [
    "Pakistan",
    "conflict",
    "Pahalgam attack",
    "ceasefire",
    "Marka-i-Haq",
    "Bunyanum Marsoos",
    "Army Rocket Force Command",
    "formed",
    "Hangor-class submarines",
    "Fatah missile series",
    "Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement",
    "statement"
  ],
  "textContent": "Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir warned on Sunday that any future “misadventure” against Pakistan will result in “extremely far-reaching and painful” consequences for the enemy.\n\nHe made the remarks at a ceremony held at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi to mark one year since Pakistan’s victory in last year’s conflict with India.\n\nThe 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.\n\nCDF Munir, as the chief guest, addressed the event. Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf were also in attendance.\n\nAddressing the ceremony, Field Marshal Munir warned: “Our enemies should know that if any attempt is made in the future to carry out a misadventure against Pakistan, then the impact of war would not be limited, but extremely widespread, dangerous, far-reaching and painful.”\n\nAt the outset of his speech, the army chief said the day was a “source of pride” for Pakistan, its public and the armed forces.\n\nHe recalled that the “enemy made a failed attempt to test our resolve by violating the sovereignty and territory” of Pakistan from the midnight of May 6/7 till May 10. He asserted this was responded to “with full national unity and military force”.\n\n“Marka-i-Haq was not merely a traditional war fought between two countries or militaries, but in reality, it was a decisive _marka_ (battle) between two ideologies, in which, thanks to Allah, the truth won and falsehood was met with defeat,” he noted.\n\nQuoting a Quranic verse on truth and falsehood, he stressed that the May 2025 conflict was “not a sudden incident, but rather a part of India’s false and widening pattern of exploitative tactics”.\n\n“The false flag operations of 2001, 2008, 2016 and 2019 are a testament that even in the past, India has made failed attempts to impose an illegitimate war on Pakistan and […] achieve narrow-minded, long-term political and military objectives through allegations, exaggeration, warmongering and misleading imagination of limited aggression,” CDF Munir said.\n\n“Each time, not only did Pakistan unveil the wrong estimates of the enemy, but also served it a decisive defeat. In this war as well, India once again was a victim of its obsolete and self-delusional thinking,” he asserted.\n\nThe army chief highlighted that 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”.\n\nCDF Munir said India was under the false assumption that it could “change the balance of power and prove its dominance over the region by making Pakistan a target of its military aggression and diplomatically isolating it”.\n\n“But in reality, global and defence experts know that India’s ambitions proved to be much larger than its stature and capabilities,” COAS Munir remarked, asserting that Pakistan’s armed forces were not intimidated by the dominance of power and will never do so.\n\nHe paid tribute to the martyrs of Marka-i-Haq who “paid the price of this victory with their blood”, including women, the elderly and children killed in Indian strikes.\n\n“All martyrs of Marka-i-Haq and their bereaved families are our crown. Your sacrifices are the guarantor of our independence and everlasting debts,” the army chief said. “We consider our martyrs an _amanat_ , our power a responsibility, and our success a favour of God,” he added.\n\nThe army chief proceeded to express his gratitude to the president, the prime minister, the federal cabinet, the national and provincial political leadership, and all political parties for their “everlasting political wisdom, foresight and leadership” that accorded Pakistan success.\n\n“The national leadership, all government institutions and the Pakistani nation gave a message as a single unit that any compromise on the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national honour is unacceptable,” he declared.\n\nCDF Munir stated that Pakistan also “achieved success on the diplomatic front” as its leaders and representatives conveyed Pakistan’s stance on the global stage.\n\n“Similarly, there is no parallel found to the way the Pakistani media, the journalist community, and especially our youth, thwarted the enemy’s propaganda, cyberwarfare and psychological tactics,” he added.\n\nThe army chief highlighted that the conflict was not won on just the battlefield, but also “in every section of society” at the national level. Emphasising that a country’s true power lies with its nation’s unity of thought and action, and patriotism, he lauded the “comprehensive national unity” displayed by the public.\n\n“When the clouds of war loomed, we saw that every ideological and individual identity was transformed into _Pakistaniyat_ — labourers, traders, students, the elderly and the young, and all Pakistani men and women resolved to defend their homeland,” he recalled.\n\n“We witnessed a relation between the nation, the government, and the armed forces by virtue of which the entire nation lined up in defence of the country like an iron wall,” the army chief said.\n\nHe then recited a Quranic verse from which the phrase “Bunyanum Marsoos” for Pakistan’s retaliatory operation was derived. The verse was also recited earlier during the ceremony.\n\n“In this battle, not only did the armed forces defeat the aggressor enemy beyond its imagination, but the professional expertise and top military strategy of our ground, naval and air forces forced the enemy to meet defeat,” the military chief said.\n\nThe CDF commended the air force personnel for “reducing the enemy’s pride to dust and setting the unique example of the modern era’s longest and decisive air battle” under the leadership of the air chief.\n\n“Not only did they down the enemy’s several modern fighter jets, but also destroyed numerous military installations,” he said.\n\nThe field marshal also lauded the naval forces for “keeping the enemy’s naval ships thousands of miles away from Pakistani territory through constant monitoring and vigilant defence of the maritime borders”. He further commended the forces on the Working Border and the Line of Control for thwarting India’s aggression and “causing immense loss by destroying its defence positions”.\n\nHe asserted that India “suffered great human and economic losses, the price of which it will keep paying in the times to come”.\n\nThe army chief recalled that Pakistan “successfully targeted more than 26 military targets” in India during the conflict, following which New Delhi “expressed the wish for a ceasefire” to international powers.\n\n“Defeated India expressed the desire for mediation through the American leadership, which Pakistan accepted in the interest of wider regional peace,” Field Marshal Munir said.\n\n## Future conflicts to comprise ‘multi-domain operations’\n\nThe army chief declared that Pakistan’s “defence was absolutely invincible in the face of any foreign aggression”.\n\n“We are strictly committed to maintaining the balance of power in the region and our effective defence deterrence,” he said, asserting that the focal point of the armed forces was the protection of peace rather than aggression.\n\n“And to maintain peace, it is mandatory to be ready for war at all times,” CDF Munir noted.\n\nHe observed that traditional wars were a thing of the past, adding that modern and future wars would “comprise multi-domain operations, in which modern technology, including cyber and electronic warfare, drones, long-range vectors, and artificial intelligence would play a crucial role”.\n\nThe military chief noted that to “further harmonise Pakistan’s armed forces with multi-domain operations”, the Defence Forces Headquarters has been established, the space programme was being expanded, and the Army Rocket Force Command has been formed.\n\nHe cited the induction of Hangor-class submarines in the Pakistan Navy, the acquisition of the “most modern fighter jets” for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), and the Fatah missile series as “a few examples of this series”.\n\nAt the same time, COAS Munir stressed that the “journey of this defence preparedness” was not merely limited to buying new weapons, but extended to a “new thinking, training and research”.\n\n## Pakistan’s diplomatic success\n\nCDF Munir highlighted that Marka-i-Haq had direct positive impacts on Pakistan’s foreign policy and diplomatic importance, with the world acknowledging Pakistan as an “invincible power”.\n\n“The number of our friends in the world today is much higher compared to the past,” he said, adding that even those who criticised Pakistan were praising it now.\n\nThe army chief mentioned the “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” signed with Saudi Arabia last year as a “great milestone of our diplomatic successes”. He highlighted Pakistan’s “unbiased and responsible diplomacy” and its role as a host for “historic negotiations” between the United States and Iran.\n\nField Marshal Munir thanked the US and Iranian leadership, particularly US President Donald Trump, for “trusting Pakistan with this difficult task”.\n\n## ‘Only one demand from Afghanistan’\n\nIn his address, the army chief said India had intensified its “state-sponsored terrorism and the strategy of supporting it”.\n\n“It has realised that it is impossible to defeat Pakistan in the traditional battlefield. Subsequently, it has again resorted to the disgusting behaviour of terrorism,” he said, highlighting that terrorism was also being carried out from Afghanistan’s soil.\n\n“Pakistan has only one demand from Afghanistan: to stop supporting _Fitna al Khawarij_ and _Fitna al Hindustan_ on the directives of India, and to completely eradicate the centres and safe havens of terrorism on its soil,” CDF Munir said.\n\nHe commended the country’s law enforcement agencies, security personnel, and public, especially those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, for fighting terrorism for the past two decades. The army chief reaffirmed the state’s resolve to eradicate terrorism.\n\n## ‘Story of Pakistan incomplete without Kashmir’\n\nField Marshal Munir also mentioned the people of occupied Kashmir.\n\n“Any story of Pakistan is incomplete without Kashmir. The resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the United Nations’ resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiris is necessary to secure freedom from India’s state brutality and violence,” he asserted.\n\nThe army chief emphasised that the ground realities of India-occupied Kashmir could not be changed through any demographic or social re-engineering.\n\n“We will continue to raise our voice for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination at every forum, and continue our political, diplomatic and moral support for the Kashmiri people,” COAS Munir affirmed.\n\nConcluding his address, the army chief expressed the hope that the nation would face any future challenges like an iron wall and further strengthen the homeland by continuing on the path of development.\n\nPrior to the army chief’s address, ACM Sidhu and Admiral Ashraf took turns to lay floral wreaths at the Yadgar-i-Shuhada (Martyrs’ Monument).\n\nA salute was presented by smartly turned-out contingents of the three branches of the armed forces, which was followed by the national anthem being played.\n\n## ‘Defining landmark’\n\nIn their messages issued on Saturday, Field Marshal Munir, ACM Sidhu and Admiral Ashraf congratulated the nation and officers and personnel of the armed forces on the completion of one year since the success of Marka-i-Haq.\n\n“Observed with deep reverence, gratitude, and national fervour, the day stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of courage, professionalism, and unity,” a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) quoted them as saying.\n\n“Marka-i-Haq has become a defining landmark in the nation’s journey, reflecting national resolve, military excellence, and strategic maturity. This success not only bolstered national confidence but also established Pakistan as a responsible regional stabiliser, possessing formidable military capabilities,” it stated.\n\nThe statement added that Pakistan’s measured and resolute response during Marka-i-Haq “exposed adversarial conspiracies, false flag narratives and disinformation campaigns, diminishing their credibility internationally”.\n\n“Despite facing conventional and hybrid challenges, including proxy terrorism, the armed forces demonstrated superior operational competence across land, air, sea, cyber, and information domains,” it continued.\n\nIt further read that in the aftermath of Marka-i-Haq, Pakistan had “further enhanced its defensive capabilities and reinforced full-spectrum deterrence despite resource asymmetries”.\n\n* * *\n\n_More to follow_",
  "title": "CDF Munir warns Pakistan's response to any future ‘misadventure’ will be ‘extremely widespread, painful’"
}