Maarka-e-Haq: Restoring deterrence

THERE are moments in a nation’s history that come to define its institutional resilience, strategic posture and national cohesion. Marka-e-Haq – the Battle of Truth – represents one such moment for Pakistan. From 22 April to 10 May 2025, Pakistan faced a significant military crisis that tested its deterrence capacity and response mechanisms. It did not flinch. It did not seek external mediation from a position of weakness. It responded with measured force and maintained its sovereignty. On 22 April 2025, terrorists attacked innocent tourists in Pahalgam deep inside Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It was a tragic and horrific act. But what followed was equally disturbing. Within hours without any investigation and without any publicly presented evidence, India blamed Pakistan like always. India used a similar approach after Pulwama in 2019 and Uri in 2016. This time, Pakistan’s Prime Minister responded by offering a joint investigation into the Pahalgam attack. It was presented as a diplomatic and confidence-building measure. India did not accept the proposal. Instead on the night of 6 and 7 May 2025, India launched missile strikes on Pakistani territory. According to reliable sources these strikes resulted in the death of 31 civilians including men, women and children while 57 others were injured. On 10 May 2025, the Pakistan defence forces launched Operation Bunyan-un-Marsus, a name drawn from the Holy Quran, meaning a wall built of solid lead. The name reflected the posture Pakistan sought to project during the response. In a single carefully planned operation, Pakistan struck 26 Indian military targets. Air bases that had been used to launch attacks on Pakistan at Suratgarh, Sirsa, Pathankot, Srinagar, Jammu and others were reportedly hit with precision. The BrahMos missile storage sites at Beas and Nagrota were also targeted. At the very outset of these hostilities, Pakistan also sought to establish aerial dominance. The Pakistan Air For