• Resolution lauds civilian and military leadership, national unity during Marka-i-Haq
• Naqvi states India ‘pleaded for a ceasefire’ through US but Pakistan ‘agreed to truce after teaching a lesson’
• Info minister says dreams of ‘Indian hegemony in S. Asia shattered’ in a few hours

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Thursday passed a resolution paying tribute to the “exemplary sacrifices, courage and dedication” of the country’s armed forces, security institutions and the entire nation for the protection of Pakistan’s sovereignty, national dignity and security on the first anniversary of last year’s military conflict with India, titled Marka-i-Haq by the state.

“This House salutes the armed forces of Pakistan for their professionalism and in-timely strategy in foiling the nefarious designs of the enemy in Marka-i-Haq and Operation Bunyanum Marsoos,” stated the resolution passed by the Senate with a majority vote.

The House also lauded the “wise leadership” of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari and their efforts in promoting “national unity and highlighting Pakistan’s stance at the international level effectively”.

“This House pays tribute to the services of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for his bold leadership, military strategy and extraordinary service for the defence of the country,” it said, adding that the army chief had strengthened the morale and professional capabilities of the armed forces and national security.

‘India pleaded’

Similarly, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said India had “pleaded for a ceasefire” through the US during last year’s conflict, adding that Pakistan only agreed to a truce after “teaching them a lesson”.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Naqvi said he was an eyewitness to the ceasefire process. “We received calls for hours [for a ceasefire], but we first wanted to teach them a lesson,” he added.

He said India had contacted Washington “several times” and US President Donald Trump played a key role in the truce.

“India would need a long time to reach the level at which we were last year,” he remarked.

The minister said the government would not allow “chaos and protests” and was working on “hardening state policy” to improve internal stability and the economy.

‘Indian hegemony shattered’

Meanwhile, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan had shattered the dreams of Indian hegemony in South Asia in just a few hours, referring to Marka-i-Haq.

The minister was speaking at a ceremony organised by the Press Association of the Supreme Court (PAS) at the SC building to mark the first anniversary of the conflict.

He said it was not only that India’s Rafale fighters “simply fell, but its pride also crashed to the ground”.

He added that when Pakistan retaliated by launching missiles, the enemy was defeated within a few hours.

“Pakistan has long advocated that its yearning for peace should not be mistaken for weakness, a principle it ably demonstrated during last year’s Operation Bunyanum Marsoos,” the minister said while appreciating the initiative taken by the PAS.

He referred to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer to hold a joint inquiry into the perpetrators of the April 2025 Pahalgam incident in Indian-held Kashmir as a masterstroke, adding that it was New Delhi, not Islamabad, that was spreading terrorism. To substantiate this, the minister cited the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and the arrest of Indian spy Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav in Balochistan in 2016.

“The Indians are misleading their own nation by projecting their internal issues outward and blaming neighbours for terrorism,” he said.

“We have demonstrated in clear terms that when it comes to the defence of Pakistan, the entire nation becomes united as we stand be­­hind our forces like a wall of steel,” he added.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2026