The spokespersons of the tri-services on Sunday night updated the country on Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos, as Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry rebutted reports that Pakistan had requested the ceasefire.
“Let me put it on record: Pakistan never requested a ceasefire,” he said, asserting that India had requested the ceasefire after its “dastardly and cowardly attacks” of May 6. He said Pakistan had made clear that it would only respond to the request after it had responded to the military strikes in manner and time of its choosing.
“On May 10, after the response and retribution … and on the request and intervention of international interlocutors, we responded to the already made request of the Indians,” he added.
During the briefing, the military spokesman also addressed social media reports regarding Pakistani forces capturing an Indian pilot. “I want to categorically state that Pakistan has no Indian pilot in custody,” he said, adding this was “fake news and propaganda.”
Lt. Gen. Chaudhry also made clear that in Pakistan’s view’s any war between the two nuclear-armed neighbors was absurd and imperiled the lives of over 1.6 billion people. “In reality, there is no space for war between India and Pakistan, and if anyone wants to carve out this space for war, he is actually carving out the space for mutual annihilation,” he said.
Maintaining that Pakistan had responded to Indian aggression with strategic maturity, he reiterated that Islamabad had used conventional means for a “two-notch up response” but had not betrayed its principled position.
Highlighting the military response, he said armed forces had targeted 26 military installations inside India that were allegedly used to target Pakistani civilians and infrastructure. “These included Indian Air Force and Army installations at Suratgarh, Sirsa, Adampur, Bhuj, Naliya, Bathinda, Barnala, Harwara, Avantipur, Srinagar, Jammu, Mamoon, Ambala, Udhampur, and Pathankot—all of which sustained significant damage,” he claimed, adding missile facilities used to launch BrahMos missiles into Pakistan were also neutralized.
The military spokesman maintained that this success was not possible without an integrated response from all three military branches and advanced technologies. “It was enabled by real-time situational awareness, network-centric warfare capabilities, and seamless multi-domain operations,” he said, adding forces had used precision-guided long-range Fatah missiles, air-launched precision munitions, long-range loitering munitions, and advanced artillery systems.
The ISPR DG also stressed that the armed forces did not target civilian populations. “We will never target civilians,” he said. “Our religion, culture, and professionalism don’t allow us to do so,” he said, adding the retaliation was not only proportionate and deliberate but also designed to uphold the country’s strategic deterrence posture. “No one should have any doubt,” he warned, “that whenever our sovereignty is threatened and our territorial integrity violated, the response will be comprehensive, retributive, and decisive,” he added.
Lamenting that India had deployed drones to intimidate civilians by spreading fear, he said Pakistan had responded by demonstrating its own advanced drone capabilities. “Throughout Operation Bunyan al Marsoos, dozens of Pakistani armed drones flew over major Indian cities and high-value political and government sites, including the capital, New Delhi,” he said, describing the maneuver as a deliberate show of strength.
He also confirmed details of Pakistan’s “comprehensive and effective cyber-offensive,” noting it had temporarily disrupted and degraded critical Indian infrastructure and communication networks. “The Pakistan Armed Forces possess an adequate suite of highly sophisticated, niche military technologies. What we used in this conflict was only a fraction of our capabilities—many remain undisclosed, reserved for future contingencies,” he said.
The military spokesman noted that amidst the Indian aggression, forces had observed a concurrent surge in militant violence across Pakistan. “As our forces engaged on the eastern front, we witnessed an abnormal and immediate spike in India-sponsored terrorism within our borders,” he said. “This clearly vindicates Pakistan’s longstanding position that India is actively involved in fomenting terrorism here,” he said, adding the military had maintained operational effectiveness on both fronts.
He also denied as false reports from within Indian media that its forces had struck a nuclear facility in Pakistan.
National response
Lt. Gen. Chaudhry commenced the press conference by paying tribute to those who lost their lives during the conflict and offering prayers for the swift recovery of the wounded. “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to every officer, soldier, airman and sailor of the armed forces of Pakistan who made this battlefield success possible through their courage, professionalism and sacrifice,” he said.
He also praised the resilience of the Pakistani people during the crisis. “The moral strength, unity, and prayers of the nation were a force multiplier for our armed forces,” he said and praised the youth of Pakistan as “frontline soldiers” in the information and cyber domains, noting they had countered misinformation and defended national interests online. He also thanked the Pakistani media for acting as a “steel wall” against hostile narratives.
He further praised the civilian leadership, commending the country’s politicians for their support and praising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for making “destiny-changing decisions” during the conflict.
Air Force Wins
Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed commenced his briefing by declaring the Pakistan Air Force had achieved 6-0 victory over the Indian Air Force, an apparent reference to the five jets and a drone downed by Pakistan.
“India targeted Pakistani civilian populations using drones,” he said. “The armed forces responded by destroying Indian military installations and terrorism training centers,” he added. He explained that Pakistan had exercised caution when Indian drones entered civilian areas, stressing all of them were detected in time.
He also maintained that Pakistan’s air defense system successfully intercepted a BrahMos missile. “The BrahMos missile attack was neutralized by our air defense system. The PAF effectively targeted the enemy using its full capabilities,” he added. He shared satellite imagery and other information in support of his assertions.
To a question on Indian Rafale jets and Pakistan’s fighters, he clarified that the “Rafale is an excellent combat aircraft, but what truly matters is the pilot’s training. The JF-17 is a source of pride for Pakistan.”
He also credited the IAF as a professional force, noting they had their own compulsions for not making clear the jets downed by Pakistan.
Naval Response
Vice Admiral Rab Nawaz, in his briefing, explained that the Pakistan Navy successfully maintained maritime security against a “numerically superior enemy.” He said the Navy had ensured swift and invisible transition from peace to operational readiness amid recent tensions with India.
“On any given day of the year, we maintain perpetual readiness. Our ships and submarines are stocked up and for us, the transition from peace to war is not only swift, it is invisible,” he added.
He said the Navy had completed its operational deployment within hours of the Pahalgam attack. “Our subs, our ships and aircraft were in their respective areas and we were ready to thwart any aggression from the sea,” he said.
On reports of India’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant moving closer to Pakistani waters, he said this was unnecessarily hyped. “On the night of May 6 and 7, it was close to Bombay and on May 9, it was 400 nautical miles from the Pakistani coast and it retreated close to Bombay,” he said. “If a carrier gets within 400 nautical miles, it simplifies our problem,” he said, adding he had Deputy Chief of Air Staff Aurangzeb had remained in contact in case of aggression from the sea.
“As a pro military officer, I don’t want to underestimate the enemy, but let’s put some things in perspective. The Vikrant sails with 8–12 MiG-29s—barely essential to carry out its own air defense,” he said. “The enemy fully understood the cost they would have to pay for venturing from the sea, and so they didn’t,” he added.
Indian Claims
Earlier in the day, Indian military officers addressed a similar press conference on Operation Sindoor, maintaining it had achieved its objectives by “eliminating” high-value terrorists. However, they refused to confirm or deny questions on downed jets and claimed Pakistan had also lost aircraft without offering any details in support of their assertions.
“We are in a combat scenario and losses are a part of it. Question is that have we achieved our objective? Answer is a thumping yes. As for details, at this time I would not like to comment on that, as we are still in combat, and give advantage to adversary. All our pilots are back home,” they said.