IN the recent India-Pakistan limited military conflict after the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan maintained the policy of maximum restraint despite Indian accusations, provocations and even military aggression.
Seeing the Indian past history and hegemonic agenda, maintaining such a restraint by Pakistan was unprecedented and unparalleled yet meaningful.
All Pakistan wanted to achieve from this policy of restraint was to give peace a chance to prevail in the wider South Asian region in general and between India-Pakistan in particular.
Indeed, there has been fragile peace in South Asia for over two decades after nuclearization of South Asia with intermittent conflicts at times.
Once compelled by continuous Indian aggression, the Pakistani military responded smartly in the most professional manner, surprising India in particular and the international community in general.
This speaks of professionalism of the Pakistani military; Pak Army, Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy.
It is worth mentioning that, numerically, the Indian Military is three times bigger than the Pakistani Military.
Besides, from the perspective of conventional war inventory (weapons and equipment) India has five times more war munitions than Pakistan.
The conventional calculations of war fighting capabilities of India and Pakistan indicate stark difference, leaving fewer chances for Pakistan to go for a military action against India.
This is logical and abstracted from theories of warfare especially in the context of smaller states versus stronger powers.
In military theory, a weaker rival is indeed less likely to attack a stronger adversary directly.
This principle is called as; “avoid strength, strike weakness”.
Even the Chinese Military Strategist, Sun Tzu emphasized in the ‘The Art of War’ said that, rather than directly attacking a powerful opponent, go for indirect actions; exploiting vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the adversaries without any head-on confrontation.
Nevertheless, the Pakistani military reversed the theories of warfare and their theoretical perspectives on warfare by head on attacking a militarily stronger adversary (India) on May 10, 2025.
In a way, the Pakistani Military “Punched above its Weight”.
It is not for the first time that Pakistani Military punched a superior Indian Military decisively, rather it is continuity since 1999 Kargil conflict.
Through Pahalgam False Flag Operation, India wanted to settle the score of 2019 military embarrassment, once Indian Air Force lost two aircrafts in a stunning military manoeuvring of Pakistan Air Force.
In international politics, a state’s national power is the hallmark of its status, derived from various elements collectively known as the elements of national power.
Among these, the military stands as the most significant and decisive factor.
Pakistan’s military has traditionally served as a robust pillar of national power, confronting and overcoming the aggressive designs of regional and international adversaries.
Its effectiveness in both traditional warfare and non-traditional security challenges, particularly in counterterrorism, has earned it widespread respect and support from the resilient Pakistani masses.
This enduring public trust has empowered the military to project its strength and fulfil its strategic objectives.
The people of Pakistan have consistently stood by their armed forces, acknowledging their role in safeguarding national sovereignty, integrity and security amid persistent threats and challenges.
In recent years, external forces have sought to defame the Pakistani military through a carefully crafted strategy.
Adversaries like India believed that sustained propaganda could weaken Pakistan’s armed forces, creating conditions to destabilize the country, much like the fates of Iraq and Libya.
This defamation campaign represents an indirect form of warfare aimed at undermining Pakistan from within.
Classical military strategists such as Carl von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu advocated such strategies, emphasizing internal disruption over direct confrontation.
Undermining a nation internally involves creating societal fault lines, promoting division, spreading defamation, politicizing key institutions and inciting distrust against national security forces.
This approach is designed to erode national unity and weaken a country’s ability to defend itself.
Despite these efforts, the resilience of Pakistan’s military and its public support have helped counter such adversarial tactics effectively.
Nevertheless, Pakistani masses stood behind their military.
The masses rejected all the narratives and conspiracies of India and other regional and global forces against Pakistan.
They believe that the Pakistani military is the sole guarantor of their sovereignty, integrity, security and defence.
Indeed, the military has never disappointed its masses.
In the recent anti Pakistan campaign, a renewed spirit was noticed among the masses from all over the country.
They wanted to fight the enemy alongside their brave armed forces in physical terms.
Through its Military Operation; “Bunyan un Marsoos” Pakistan has punched a much loftier adversary; heavy weight of South Asia in all aspects.
This speaks of professionalism of the Pakistani military and its dedication for the defence and security of the motherland.
From the perspective of professionalism, bravery and dedication, the Pakistani military has been among the top few militaries of the world.
Its brave men have safeguarded Pakistani geographical frontiers against all sorts of aggressions and security challenges.
The ‘Marka-e-Haq’ and Operation; “Bunyan-un Marsus” have further raised the ranking of Pakistani Military at global level.
The remarkable achievements of the Pakistani Military have been widely appreciated at international level.
Indeed, the Pakistani nation once again stood behind its brave military to defeat a numerically and materially much superior enemy.
This speaks of the national resolve of the Pakistani nation.
Seeing such a dedicated military outfit and resilient national resolve, it can be clearly established that, ‘No power on earth can defeat Pakistan’.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad. ([email protected])
