Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar briefed the Senate on Wednesday that India lost more than $3 billion in the recent military buildup, while Pakistan lost 40 innocent civilians and 11 soldiers in a tragic manner, with over 180 others getting hurt.
During his detailed address, Dar said Pakistan exercised its right to self-defense after India initiated aggression, and responded in a strong and proportional manner. He revealed that as a result of Pakistan’s response, India was forced to raise white flags on several of its military posts — including some that had been under Indian control since 1947.
Referring to India’s reaction following the Pahalgam incident, Dar said that just like the 2019 Pulwama attack, New Delhi rushed to blame Pakistan without any investigation. He criticized the Indian media for spreading war hysteria, adding that this time the international community was not convinced by India’s narrative. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had extended an invitation to India to carry out an independent and unbiased investigation — a gesture that had found great appreciation across the world.
Dar went on to state that India made five significant moves after the Pahalgam attack, four of which were diplomatic in nature. These were the reduction of Pakistani diplomatic personnel, the declaration of Pakistani defense attachés as persona non grata, the revocation of Pakistani visas, closing the Wagah border, and the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
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Pakistan, in response, resolved to take countermeasures. The National Security Committee met on April 24 and decided to expel Indian attachés, shut the border from its side, cancel Indian visas — excluding those of Sikh pilgrims — and close its airspace to Indian airlines, which led to heavy financial losses for Indian carriers.
Dar said the government anticipated Indian military escalation and remained fully prepared. He noted that the global diplomatic community, including members of the UN Security Council, engaged both India and Pakistan to avoid a full-scale conflict. During this period, Dar said he personally spoke to over 60 foreign ministers and several prime ministers to present Pakistan’s position and reiterate its desire for peace. Nevertheless, he made it clear that Pakistan would also retaliate if India tried to play aggressive.
He disclosed that on April 29 and 30 night, four Indian combat aircraft came to the Pakistani frontier but retreated upon facing Pakistan Air Force interceptors. Later, on the night of May 6, India launched a major air operation involving 70 to 80 aircraft, including Rafale and Sukhoi jets, which targeted civilian locations and mosques in Punjab and Azad Kashmir. According to Dar, none of the targets were terrorist facilities.
Pakistan, according to him, reacted promptly and decisively. Orders were issued to the Pakistan Air Force to shoot down any Indian aircraft that was involved in aggression, and these orders were completely implemented. Five Indian aircraft and two drones were shot down successfully, Dar claimed. He claimed that India was given a humiliating defeat and the myth of its air superiority was broken.
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He also pointed out that after its botched airstrikes, India made up 15 attacks within its borders and engaged in a disinformation campaign. Trying to ignite sectarian tensions, India even attempted to engage the Sikh population. It released 80 drones into Pakistani airspace; 79 of them were destroyed, and one inflicted minor damage and injured four soldiers.
Dar underscored that Pakistan’s response was prudent, calibrated, and in accordance with international law, namely Article 51 of the UN Charter, which permits self-defense in case of armed attack. After a high-level National Security Committee meeting on May 9, Pakistan initiated the first phase of its military retaliation targeting Indian airbases and installations used in the attack.
The targets included Nur Khan Airbase, Shorkot Airbase, Rahim Yar Khan Airport, and Sukkur Airport. The strikes, according to Dar, were precise and demonstrated Pakistan’s capability and resolve.
Responding to criticism over Pakistan’s refusal to condemn the Pahalgam incident, Dar questioned why India had never condemned similar attacks in Pakistan, such as the Jaffar Express bombing. He reiterated that Pakistan would not issue condemnations without solid evidence.
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Dar said that Pakistan had also achieved a diplomatic victory at the United Nations. The original draft of the U.S.-sponsored press statement included Indian talking points and references to groups like The Resistance Front (TRF), but after Pakistan’s intervention, the final version referred to Jammu and Kashmir and omitted the TRF mention.
He reaffirmed that Pakistan had not initiated any ceasefire proposal and clarified that it was India that sought de-escalation after its failed military adventure. “We are a peace-loving nation, but if our sovereignty is threatened, we will respond with full force,” Dar declared. He added that the recent conflict had exposed India’s propaganda and compelled it to back off — even from posts it had held for over 75 years.
