By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s military on Thursday declared that the country’s armed forces were fully prepared to defend the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity “at all costs,” as senior commanders marked the first anniversary of “Marka-e-Haq,” the large-scale military confrontation with India last year.

Addressing a joint press conference in Rawalpindi, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan’s armed forces had successfully countered what he described as a much larger adversary during the conflict, according to Associated Press of Pakistan.

“We will do it, come what may,” the military spokesperson said.

The briefing, held alongside Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Operations) Rear Admiral Shafaat Ali and Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Projects) Air Vice Marshal Tariq Ghazi, focused on what Pakistani officials described as the strategic lessons and consequences of the confrontation with India.

The military confrontation erupted in May 2025 following heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours after the  Pahalgam attack in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for the incident, an accusation Islamabad denied, demanding evidence and calling for an independent investigation, but India rejected an independent investigation and failed to provide any proof of Pakistan's involvement despite the passing of one year.

The crisis rapidly escalated into cross-border strikes, aerial combat, and military deployments along the Line of Control and international border before a ceasefire was reached through international diplomatic engagement.

During the four-day war, Pakistan shot down several Indian fighter jets, including advanced Rafale aircraft.

Pakistan’s military has since referred to its response during the conflict as “Marka-e-Haq” and “Operation Bunyanum Marsoos,” presenting the confrontation as a major strategic and military success of Pakistan against India.

Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif said the conflict demonstrated Pakistan’s capability to conduct “multi-domain warfare,” including operations across land, air, sea, cyberspace, and the cognitive domain.

“Warfare is no longer limited to borders,” he said. “Pakistan’s Armed Forces were prepared to confront India across all these domains.”

He argued that one of the key outcomes of the conflict was what he called the collapse of India’s long-standing narrative linking Pakistan to terrorism.

“India repeatedly attempted to portray Pakistan as a source of terrorism without evidence,” he said, adding that New Delhi had failed to answer Pakistan’s questions regarding the Pahalgam incident even after a year.

Pakistan has long accused India of sponsoring militant violence inside Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Islamabad claims anti-Pakistan militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), operate from Afghan territory with Indian support.

The military spokesperson also said terrorism incidents in Pakistan sharply declined after Islamabad carried out strikes against what it called militant infrastructure inside Afghanistan in October last year.

Attacks have increased in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in recent years, with Pakistani authorities frequently blaming the TTP for targeting security forces and civilians. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban administration of allowing militants to use Afghan soil.

Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif warned that Pakistan remained fully prepared for future conflict but stressed that Islamabad did not seek war.

“There is no space for war between two nuclear neighbours,” he said. “Anyone who thinks there is space for war between two nuclear neighbours is crazy.”

He added that Pakistan’s military capability shown during the 2025 conflict represented “only 10 per cent” of the armed forces’ full operational potential.

Rear Admiral Shafaat Ali said the Pakistan Navy successfully protected maritime trade routes and ports during the confrontation despite what he described as Indian naval attempts to threaten Pakistan’s sea lines of communication in the Arabian Sea.

He said Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Air Force forces had prepared plans to target India’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant if necessary, though he said the Indian Navy “did not move beyond its safe zone.”

Air Vice Marshal Tariq Ghazi said Pakistan Air Force operations during the conflict represented a major evolution in modern warfare, saying the PAF successfully integrated “multi-domain assets” for the first time.

He reiterated Pakistan’s earlier statement that eight Indian aerial assets were downed during the fighting, including four French-made Rafale fighter jets, one Su-30, one MiG-29, one Mirage-2000 aircraft, and an unmanned aerial system.

The military spokesperson also reiterated Pakistan’s position on Kashmir, describing the disputed Himalayan region as Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and calling for implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions granting Kashmiris the right to self-determination.

On regional diplomacy, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif said Pakistan was also facilitating talks between the United States and Iran aimed at reducing tensions in the Middle East.

He further highlighted Pakistan’s close security ties with Saudi Arabia, referring to a strategic mutual defence agreement signed between the two countries last year.

“Any threat to Saudi Arabia is also a threat to us,” he said.