By Arhum Tariq Butt, Barrister-at-Law & Ahsan Kaleem Khan, Policy Expert
When John Hay coined the phrase “a splendid little war,” he referred to a swift, decisive conflict that transformed a nation’s stature.
What Pakistan just experienced fits that description perfectly. Let us begin by acknowledging the cost. We mourn our martyrs—innocent lives, including children, brutally taken by Indian cowardice. It takes a particular kind of cruelty to target civilians with impunity. We carried the heaviest coffins yet chose the path of responsibility. Our military response came only when necessary, and it was precise, proportionate, and morally superior.
The exemplary leadership of the Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf with support of other national institutions allowed Pakistan to navigate a pivotal moment in history. That is the true measure of a nation’s strength—not just how it fights, but why and when it fights.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s confident and composed victory address was broadcasted globally. It marked a turning point in how Pakistan is perceived. No longer the “troubled nuclear state” of international headlines, we are once again seen as a stable, focused, and capable regional power-one that acts with discipline, not desperation. The perception that Pakistan had grown too weak to respond to Indian aggression took root after New Delhi revoked Article 370 in 2019. Our restraint then—guided by diplomatic priorities—was spun by India as helplessness. That illusion has now collapsed. Our response in this war showed that while we may be patient, we are never powerless. We decide our moment—and when we act, it is with clarity and conviction.
Adopting Israeli military hardware and strategy, India believed it could deliver a quick blow and dictate new terms. What it received instead was a reminder of Pakistan’s discipline and capability. Pakistan Airforce established air superiority from the first hour of the conflict till the last minute of combat before ceasefire came into effect. Operation Bunyun-al-Maroos, executed with speed and precision, left India scrambling for a ceasefire. It wasn’t just a military defeat—it was a blow to its regional hegemonic ambitions.
This wasn’t just India’s failure. It was a collapse of the prevalent “carte blanche” doctrine prevalent in international arena in recent history where military arrogance that India adopted collapsed. And in that sense, the victory wasn’t just ours—it was the Muslim world’s. Pakistan stood tall as a defender of not just its borders, but of a broader regional dignity.
And we did not fight alone. We fought as one people. Where once we saw internal political division and economic strain, we now saw unity and resolve. This war, short as it was, brought Pakistanis together in a way that speeches and manifestos never could. It was the kind of national alignment that only a just cause can inspire.
This war also brought the Kashmir issue back to the centre of the global stage. No longer can India hide behind claims of bilateralism or internal jurisdiction. The international community is now engaged—because the stakes have been raised, and the myth of India’s control has been exposed. Along with Kashmir, Pakistan should now press forward on all fronts: Indian-backed terrorism in Balochistan, violations of the Indus Waters Treaty, and the broader framework of regional peace and justice.
We wrote on April 29 in our article “Indus Interrupted: Deciphering India’s Grand but Illegal Designs” that this would follow a familiar pattern—sharp escalation, fears of nuclear confrontation, and swift global intervention especially by the US. That is exactly what unfolded. The predictability of this outcome underscores the strategic maturity of Pakistan’s posture.
What happened over these three days was not accidental—it was a reckoning. We reminded the world that Pakistan is not to be side-lined. We are a responsible nuclear state, a disciplined military power, and the only country in the Muslim world capable of standing toe-to-toe with a major regional aggressor.
Yes, this was a splendid little war.
Not for its violence, which we abhor. Not for its cost, which we carry with pain. But for what it restored—our honour, our unity, our leverage, and our rightful place in the region and the Muslim Ummah.
Now, as the global powers prepare for post-war mediation, Pakistan must keep its priorities front and centre. Kashmir must not merely be discussed—it must be resolved. Water rights, cross-border destabilization, and justice for our martyrs must be non-negotiable.
India has been taught a long-lasting lesson: Hindutva is a myth and South Asia is a region of equals.
And let the world see: this was not just a war-it was an iron curtain raised against aggression, a final boundary drawn by a nation that will no longer tolerate violations of its dignity, sovereignty, or people.
