By: Suleman Ahmed
In the evolving security dynamics of South Asia, leadership styles are under unprecedented scrutiny. At the centre of this contrast stands Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir, a career soldier whose rise through the ranks reflects institutional merit, operational excellence, and quiet authority. His appointment as Field Marshal on 22 May 2025—an honour rarely bestowed in modern military hierarchies—marks the culmination of a service defined by discretion, intelligence expertise, integrity, selflessness, and an unrelenting focus on discipline and national security.
On the other side of the border, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has increasingly become the subject of domestic and international ridicule. Whilst Modi’s rise was once viewed as a break from India’s entrenched political elite, his continued reliance on populist rhetoric; religious nationalism; and media theatrics has begun to undermine the credibility of his leadership – assuming he had any after thousands of Muslims were butchered in Gujarat on his watch as Chief Minister of the State in 2002. His electoral strategies, which appear to include staging attacks in India and then blaming and attacking Pakistan, controversial statements, and performative diplomacy, inter alia, have sparked criticism even amongst traditional allies, raising questions about substance versus spectacle.
On 22 April 2025, an attack was carried out in Pahalgam, Indian Occupied Kashmir, where 26 civilians were killed. These attacks were cowardly and were condemned worldwide, including by the Pakistani leadership and public at large. However, the Modi Government and Indian media immediately blamed Pakistan for the attacks, notwithstanding that no investigations had been conducted and there was no evidence implicating Pakistan. Upon being publicly arraigned, Pakistan immediately sought evidence from India and requested an independent inquiry to be performed by neutral third parties. And although India was adamant that Pakistan was behind the attacks, there was no willingness to provide any evidence (because it did not exist) or conduct an independent investigation.
Instead, the Modi Government and Indian media decided to engage in warmongering, jingoism, making inflammatory statements, and grave allegations against Pakistan, all of which were without substance. The Indian disinformation and inflammatory statements escalated to such an extent that DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry—head of the military’s public relations wing—was compelled to warn India that any misadventure would result in a robust response, “the entire world will come to know”. Even the-then, General Asim Munir (Chief of Army Staff) issued a statement, stating “[let there be no ambiguity: any military misadventure by India will be met with a swift, resolute, and notch-up response. While Pakistan remains committed to regional peace, our preparedness and resolve to safeguard national interests is absolute.”
At the time of the Pahalgam attack, Modi was on an official visit to Saudi Arabia. However, unlike other Prime Ministers, who would have returned to their country forthwith and visited the site of the attacks to meet with the victims’ families, Modi immediately went to the state of Bihar—some 1,800 kilometres South-East of Pahalgam—to inaugurate development projects and attend an “election rally”. Even the opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, returned from his trip to the US, but the Butcher of Gujarat decided to campaign at a time of national mourning.
Given how Modi and the Indian government conducted themselves, there can be no doubt that the Pahalgam attack was an inside job by India. Staging attacks in India and then engaging in inflammatory statements and actions against Pakistan is a common theme in Modi’s playbook. Modi was also involved in something similar in 2019, when Central Reserve Police Force personnel were attacked in Pulwama, Indian Occupied Kashmir, and Pakistan was blamed and attacked, resulting in an Indian Air Force pilot being captured by Pakistan after his aircraft was struck.
Indeed, this playbook has been confirmed by India’s former foreign minister, Yashwant Sinha of the BJP (Modi’s party), who recently stated that the attack in Pahalgam occurred because there are upcoming elections in India (Bihar, where Modi headed to campaign). He also said that previously, the attack in Pulwama, Indian Occupied Kashmir, happened at the time of an upcoming election; before that, in 2016, an attack occurred in Uri, Indian Occupied Kashmir, and on each occasion, Modi utilised these attacks to his advantage. By way of example, at the time of the Pulwama attack, during Modi’s election rally speech, votes were sought in the names of the victims. Modi has therefore politicised the deaths of these victims on each occasion for the sake of votes, and so that he could enjoy another term in office, irrespective of the fact that his hands and the seats of his party in parliament are drenched in blood.
Over the two weeks following the Pahalgam attack, threats of an attack against Pakistan were persistently being made. In the early hours of May 7, 2025, India finally struck. Its attacks against Pakistan’s civilian population and places of worship were the epitome of cowardice. Little did it know, however, that Pakistan’s two intelligence chiefs—Lieutenant General Asim Malik (ISI), and Major General Wajid Aziz (Military Intelligence)—had been hard at work, and by their valiant efforts, Pakistan knew when India was likely to attack. Accordingly, Pakistan’s response to any such attack had already been coordinated across all three forces.
In the most extended aerial dogfight in recent history, where India sought to attack Pakistan with over 70 fighter jets, the Pakistan Air Force was able to shoot down three Indian Rafale fighter jets, one MIG-29, one Su-30, and one Heron drone. Over the following days, India continued to attack Pakistan with drones. Such was the spirit of the people in Field Marshal Asim Munir’s Pakistan that the public was helping its army by shooting down the drones with rifles. In a live televised incident, a schoolboy decided to make off on his motorbike with an Indian drone shot down in Lahore. The public was undaunted by India. In another incident on 10 May 2025, almost the whole of Rawalpindi converged on Nur Khan Airbase after (intercepted) Indian munitions had attacked it.
Between 7 and 10 May, the Indian media was full of jingoism and disinformation. The Indian army had entered Pakistani territory, obtaining control of Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and Quetta. The Indian navy had also purportedly taken over all of Pakistan’s ports, including Lahore port (a city which is landlocked). One Indian channel (ABP News) even went as far as declaring—in the vernacular—that “Munir has been taken into custody, according to sources Munir has been arrested, the Pakistani army chief has been arrested”.
What the Indian media did not report, however, is that when India attacked Nur Khan and a couple of other airbases in Pakistan on 10 May 2025, all of which were intercepted, true to their word Field Marshal Asim Munir’s forces responded in an unprecedented manner, and the “entire world [did] come to know”. Under Colonel Sophia Qureshi of the Indian army, Pakistan’s retaliatory attacks targeted “more than 26 locations”; damaged “equipment and personnel” and “at least five air bases” at Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, Bhuj, and Bathinda. What she omitted was the fact that Pakistan also destroyed India’s S-400 Air Defence System and its Brahmos Missile storage site. And it is by these unprecedented retaliatory strikes—personally strategised by Field Marshal Asim Munir—that Modi, with his tail between his legs, desperately sought US intervention to broker a ceasefire with Pakistan.
Whilst India denied it had lost any assets, global stock markets had already passed judgment: shares in the French Dassault Aviation nosedived, whereas shares in the Chinese Chengdu Aircraft Corporation rose significantly. The French had even made admissions to that effect. This was incontrovertible evidence of the fact that Pakistan had downed India’s flagship Rafale jets. Rumour now has it that the US is reluctant to sell India any defence equipment due to the sub-standard training of its forces, and the consequent embarrassment and economic damage India will cause to the US, just like it has to France; interest in Rafale jets has plummeted.
By Field Marshal Asim Munir’s exemplary leadership—which included the naming of Pakistan’s operation as “Bunyan-un-Marsoos” (Quran 61:4)—not only was India defeated militarily, it also suffered economic, social, and political damage. India and the Indian media have become the laughing stock of the world; it is now common knowledge that the Indian media has zero credibility, just like its Prime Minister.
Where the Indian media patently lied to its public about its armed forces’ (wishful) success and preferred to engage in sensationalism, the DG ISPR Lt General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, along with Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb, and Vice Admiral Rab Nawaz held daily press briefings wherein they apprised the media and public of the progress of Operation Banyan-un-Marsoos; countered Indian disinformation with facts, figures, and conclusive evidence; and answered very difficult questions. Following the ceasefire, a further briefing was held on 11 May 2025, during which the trio provided a detailed presentation on the achievements made over the past four days. Moreover, evidence was provided of the Indian targets struck by Pakistan, as well as supporting electronic data, including that of the Indian aircraft shot down on 7 May. Whilst the press briefings were peppered with witty comments, exhibiting Lt General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry’s and his team’s splendid gift of repartee, they refused to engage in any criticism of their Indian counterparts, stating that there is a code of mutual respect between them and that all parties were acting for their respective countries.
The press briefings stood out as textbook examples of military communication marked by clarity, composure, and strategic precision. Each briefing was meticulously structured—balancing transparency with national security concerns, whilst maintaining a tone that was firm yet devoid of provocation. The delivery was consistently professional, avoiding speculation and rhetoric, and instead grounding statements in verified facts. In an age of misinformation and reactive messaging, the briefings demonstrated how institutions could cultivate credibility through consistency, discipline, and respect for the public’s intelligence. Global military and government spokespersons, educational institutions, media houses, and humanity in general will undoubtedly use the DG ISPR’s approach as a case study for years to come: speak with purpose, stay within the bounds of truth, and communicate in a manner that fosters both trust and stability. These attributes further demonstrate the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces and the culture and values instilled in the institution by Field Marshal Asim Munir.
From his early days as a career officer in Pakistan’s army to his elevation as the first army chief in Pakistani history to be awarded the rank of Field Marshal by a civilian government, Field Marshal Asim Munir’s ascent has been marked by professionalism; distinguished leadership; gallantry; strategic depth; and a reputation for incorruptibility. His service record—encompassing operational command, intelligence leadership, and institutional reform—presents a portrait of a man whose career is built on merit and stellar credentials.
Throughout his tenure as Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir has been fighting wars on multiple fronts: the economy was in dire straits when he was appointed army chief; terrorist attacks within Pakistan were increasing at an alarming rate; Pakistan was being attacked from its Western border; and an atmosphere of unprecedented political uncertainty had been created within the country, which further affected the economy.
Despite facing such grave challenges, Field Marshal Asim Munir overcame them with his sheer determination, resilience, hard work, and professionalism. The economy is much stronger; the law-and-order situation is under control; there is political stability in Pakistan; and any threat from India has also been neutralised. In the light of those achievements, the writing is on the wall: Field Marshal Asim Munir is by far the most successful army chief in Pakistani history.
After suffering a compelling and embarrassing defeat at the hands of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and with its credibility destroyed, the message for India is loud and clear: the Field Marshal is here to stay, and any further misadventure against Pakistan will ensure your national song will be rewritten. The current words—in Sanskrit—are “Vande” (I bow to) and “Mataram” (the motherland). However, if your Prime Minister continues to stage attacks in India and blames Pakistan, the words will very soon be: “Vande Asim Munir.”
