PESHAWAR: Adviser to the chief minister on information and public relations Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif on Saturday asked India not to opt for “further adventurism” against Pakistan.

He also praised the Pakistan Air Force for successfully hitting Indian targets under the operation Bunyan um-Marsoos.

“The enemy had targeted innocent civilians, including women and children, under the cover of darkness. However, the brave falcons of the Pakistan Air Force responded swiftly and decisively, delivering a strong and effective retaliation,” Mr Saif said in a statement.

He said India lacked the courage to face Pakistan in the battlefield head-on and relied on “cowardly tactics and darkness, but in contrast, the brave Pakistan Army and Air Force personnel remained ever-vigilant and prepared to respond forcefully on every front.”

Rallies staged in province to express solidarity with armed forces

The adviser emphasised that the entire Pakistani nation stood united like a rock wall against the enemy, shoulder to shoulder with its courageous armed forces.

He warned that India should think a thousand times before engaging in any further adventurism, as any hostile intention towards Pakistan would always receive a fierce and fitting reply.

“The current situation demands national unity and solidarity,” he said.

The adviser said that the Indian media specialised in lies, propaganda and misleading news.

He noted that although the Indian military failed to respond, their media left no stone unturned in creating the illusion of “victory” over Pakistan.

Mr Saif urged Indian media to report the “facts of Pakistani operation Bunyan Al-Marsoos truthfully and accept reality.”

He also called for the immediate release of PTI founder Imran Khan from jail, saying it is imperative under the current circumstances.

The adviser said Imran was the most popular leader in the country.

He said the dismissal of “false” cases against all political prisoners and their release would be a significant step toward national reconciliation.

Meanwhile, the district administration organised a rally in Bannu on Saturday to support the armed forces and condemn Indian missile and drone attacks inside Pakistan.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Fahim led the rally, which started from outside the TMA offices and ended at the Paratee Gate.

AC Allah Nawaz Khan, government officials, traders, religious scholars, civil society activists and people from other walks of life attended the rally.

Holding banners and Pakistani flags, they shouted slogans in favour of the Pakistan Army.

The deputy commissioner said the Pakistani armed forces were fully capable of giving a befitting response to Indian aggression.

“We are all together when it comes to defending the country,” he said.

The DC said the entire nation stood behind its armed forces to protect the motherland.

In Kohat, the Muttahida Ulema Council brought out a rally from the Kotwali Masjid in the main bazaar to celebrate successful Pakistani air strikes in India in response to the Indian aggression.

The participants shouted slogans in favour of the Pakistan Air Force for “jamming” the Indian defence system and said they would fight against India along with Pakistani armed forces.

Also, a demonstration was held in the Mian Mandi Bazaar of Mohmand tribal district to express solidarity with the armed forces in the face of Indian aggression.

Elders Malik Sahibdad and Malik Rehan Shah, Mohmand Welfare Organisation president Mir Afzal Mohmand and other speakers said the Mohmand tribesmen would fight shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan Army in case India waged a war.

People in Bajaur, too, took to the streets on Saturday to celebrate Pakistan’s military strikes inside India.

They also welcomed the Indo-Pak ceasefire. Police personnel, officials of the district administration and other public departments and people from other walks of life also attended the rally in Civil Colony of Khar.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2025