Pakistan calls on international partners to restrain Indian aggression
ISLAMABAD: Given India’s belligerent posture, Pakistan has called upon its international partners to ensure that India honours its commitments and refrains from further aggression.
“Should India resume hostilities, Pakistan will have no choice but to respond,” the Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan, told a weekly media briefing on Friday.
The recent announcement of a Pakistan-India ceasefire is a positive development. We urge India to adhere faithfully to its implementation, he pointed out.
He said that India’s hefty defence spending is a source of serious regional concern. “While Pakistan harbours no expansionist ambitions,” the spokesperson said, adding our armed forces remain fully capable of defending the motherland and countering any hegemonic designs.
These tensions escalated into active hostilities following India’s aggression against Pakistan on 7 May 2025. It is deeply regrettable that India’s actions set a dangerous precedent for unilateral aggression, pushing the entire region to the brink of a disaster, he added.
Our armed forces were fully prepared and responded decisively, shooting down six Indian Air Force fighter aircraft. The Pakistan Air Force acted strictly in accordance with its mandate: to target Indian aircraft that either violated Pakistan’s airspace or discharged their payload against Pakistani territory.
In light of India’s unrelenting aggression, Pakistan was compelled to exercise its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Accordingly, in the early hours of 10 May 2025, we launched Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos.
“Our response was measured, proportionate, and strictly targeted military installations. Pakistan’s decisive success in neutralising Indian fighter jets, drones, and military targets is now an undeniable and widely recognized fact—one that cannot be obscured by misinformation or propaganda,” Ambassador Shafqat remarked.
He emphasised the objective of our action was clear: to demonstrate Pakistan’s resolve, capability, and inherent right to defend its territory and people.
Pakistan’s effective counter strikes have reinforced the credibility of its deterrence and dispelled any illusions of India’s conventional superiority or its ambitions to impose hegemony in the region.
While India propagates the notion of establishing a “new normal” in bilateral relations, our restrained response has reaffirmed that the only acceptable norm is respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Let me clarify, FO spokesperson said the ceasefire was achieved through facilitation of several friendly nations. Against this backdrop, India’s portrayal of Pakistan as acting out of “despair and frustration” is entirely baseless. The facts speak for themselves.
To a query, he asserted debating the venue for talks at this stage is premature.
The Directors General of Military Operations of Pakistan and India have maintained periodic contact since 10 May 2025. Both sides have agreed on a structured mechanism for phased de-escalation.
At a time when the international community is actively promoting regional peace and stability, India’s rhetoric reflects a persistent tendency to distort facts, justify aggression, and cast unwarranted aspersions on Pakistan’s nuclear assets. In contrast, Pakistan, as a responsible state, remains committed to the ceasefire and to taking necessary steps toward de-escalation and regional stability.
“Our commitment to peace must never be mistaken for weakness. Any future aggression will also be met with full resolve. We hope India will prioritise regional stability and the well-being of its citizens over narrow, politically motivated jingoism,” he further pointed out.
He added Pakistan firmly believes in peaceful coexistence, urging India to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy over conflict and confrontation.
He has repeated Pakistan support for China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, following Beijing’s reaffirmation of its position on Zangnan, also known as Arunachal Pradesh.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025