PAF clearly showed its dominance during Ma’arka-e-Haq: Tarar
ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said on Wednesday that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has clearly shown its superiority and dominance during Operation Ma’arka–e–Haq, stating the shooting down of French-made Rafael fighter jets by PAF pilots has broken the arrogance of the Indian establishment.
Tarar stated this while addressing a seminar hosted jointly by the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI), and Digital Debate titled “Ma’arka-e-Haq: Victory in the Battlefield and Beyond”.
He emphasised that while India had initiated its aggressive behavior by attacking civilian populations, Pakistan had deliberately kept its retaliation limited to military targets only. “Pakistan is for peace,” Tarar said, adding that Pakistan was a responsible nation and an active participant in the international campaign against terrorism.
Reflecting on the conflict, he remarked Pakistan had achieved success on the narrative, military, and diplomatic fronts. He credited this to the unity of the nation, the resilience of its institutions, and the leadership of the Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Tarar called out India for relying on unsubstantiated allegations and politically motivated narratives following a false flag operation, noting that an FIR on the Pahalgam incident was registered within 10 minutes without a credible investigation or evidence. He emphasized that Pakistan effectively countered misinformation through timely and fact-based engagement with international media and diplomatic forums, further strengthened by Pakistan’s offer for a transparent joint investigation, which remains unanswered.
Highlighting the role of the younger generation in the information domain, he said Pakistan successfully projected its narrative globally while exposing the weaknesses and contradictions in India’s claims.
He also praised the professionalism of Pakistan’s Armed Forces and the role of indigenous technological capabilities in defending the country, noting that national unity enabled Pakistan to emerge stronger and more respected internationally, while attempts to isolate or intimidate Pakistan ultimately failed.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had offered a transparent investigation during his address at the Pakistan Military Academy Kakul. “A year has passed, and India has given no response. India is running away from the investigation.”
He blamed India for distorting the narrative by converting its internal problems into international problems and vice versa. The case of Jammu and Kashmir is an international problem as there are UN resolutions on it, while terrorism is an internal problem for India. The arrest of Commander Kulbhushan Yadav in Pakistan was cited as evidence of Indian participation in terrorist acts, and at the same time, this same nation has been blamed for murdering Sikhs internationally.
“Pakistan is combating terrorism, whereas India is sponsoring terrorism.”
The information minister pointed out the transparency of Pakistan, mentioning how journalists and locals had been brought to Bela Noor Shah to observe the realities of the Pahalgam attack. This was in contrast to the Indian propaganda about targeting ports in Lahore and Multan, which are not even port cities.
He further highlighted the sacrifices made by Pakistan in the larger war on terror, noting that the country had suffered billions of dollars in losses and countless numbers of lives in its efforts.
However, former caretaker Foreign Minister Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani observed that India’s aggressive posture toward Pakistan has intensified since 2014 under the leadership of Narendra Modi, with anti-Pakistan rhetoric and allegations repeatedly being used for domestic political purposes.
Referring to the events of May 2025, he argued that the crisis followed a familiar pattern of false flag operations and attempts to blame Pakistan, citing past incidents such as Pulwama and Chattisinghpura. He noted, however, that India’s narrative failed to gain international acceptance due to growing global concerns over India’s transnational assassination campaigns, the rise of Hindutva-driven extremism targeting minorities, and its increasingly strained relations with neighbouring South Asian states.
Ambassador Jilani further remarked that India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty generated serious international concern, with experts viewing the weaponisation of water as irresponsible and destabilising.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi presented a comprehensive overview of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to counter India’s malign campaign targeted at Pakistan. He stated that the Prime Minister’s offer for a joint investigation played a pivotal part in favoring Pakistan’s narrative of international recognition. In the course of two weeks, the Foreign Minister dialed up 60 capitals across the globe. He concluded that while India continued to propagate misleading narratives, global attention increasingly shifted toward Pakistan’s perspective, with its enhanced credibility translating military success into meaningful diplomatic capital.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026