Pakistan has upheld a morally and ethically superior position in the face of Indian aggression, senior PML-N leader Rana Ehsan Afzal asserted, as experts and former officials lauded Pakistan’s measured yet resolute response in the unfolding conflict.
Speaking with media flagship programme Statecraft, Rana Ehsan Afzal said Pakistan’s principled stance from the outset was clear: “We had no link whatsoever to the Pahalgam incident and immediately expressed our willingness for a transparent and independent inquiry.” He added that despite this openness, India responded with unprovoked aggression and deliberately targeted civilians. “Even in retaliation, Pakistan drew a clear line — we categorically rejected targeting civilians and limited our response to legitimate military objectives,” he remarked.
Defence analyst and former Corps Commander Lt Gen (R) Naeem Khalid Lodhi described Pakistan’s military performance as historic. “We are grateful to the Almighty and proud of our soldiers. In this conflict, three world records were set: Rafale jets were shot down for the first time globally; nearly a hundred state-of-the-art drones were brought down within 48 hours; and never before has such a high-intensity engagement occurred between two nuclear-armed states,” he said.
He added that the level of intensity witnessed in this conflict eclipses what has been seen in both Ukraine and the Middle East. “This is a unique war — it will be studied in military academies and think tanks for years to come,” Lodhi remarked, praising the resolve, unity, and tactical clarity displayed by Pakistan’s armed forces.
Former Foreign Secretary Jauhar Saleem shed light on the strategic imbalance between the two nations. “India’s economy is ten times larger than Pakistan’s, and its defence budget is nearly nine times greater,” he noted, referencing India’s recent free trade agreement with the United Kingdom as a sign of its global ambitions.
However, Saleem was critical of Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s diplomacy, saying his arrogance has alienated India from nearly all its neighbours. “India’s relations with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the Maldives are all strained. This lack of mutual respect has seriously undermined India’s regional influence,” he concluded.
