Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir on Monday claimed that India’s assertions about Islamabad receiving external support during the four-day conflict were “factually incorrect.”
In an address to graduating officers at the National Defence University in Islamabad, Munir said that any misadventure or attempt to undermine Pakistan’s sovereignty would be met with a swift and resolute response, without any constraints.
“Insinuations regarding external support in Pakistan’s successful Operation Bunyanum Marsoos are irresponsible and factually incorrect and reflect a chronic reluctance to acknowledge indigenous capability and institutional resilience developed over decades of strategic prudence,” news agency PTI quoted Asim Munir as saying.
His remarks came just days after Indian Army Deputy Chief Lt Gen Rahul R Singh said that Beijing had extended active military support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, using the conflict as a “live lab” to test various weapon systems.
Speaking at a seminar in Delhi last week, Gen. Singh said Pakistan was the “front face,” with China offering full support to its all-weather ally.
He added that Turkey also played a significant role by supplying military hardware to Islamabad, saying that India was effectively dealing with “at least three adversaries” during the May 7-10 conflict.
Asim Munir also claimed that India’s strategic behaviour is rooted in “parochial self-alignment,” while Pakistan has focused on forging lasting partnerships through principled diplomacy, anchored in mutual respect and peace.
He said that this approach has established Pakistan as a stabilising force in the region.
‘Deeply hurting, more than reciprocal response’: Munir warns
“Any attempt to target our population centres, military bases, economic hubs and ports will instantly invoke a deeply hurting and more than reciprocal response,” Munir said.
He added that wars are not won through “media rhetoric, imported fancy hardware, or political sloganeering,” but rather through “faith, professional competence, operational clarity, institutional strength and national resolve.”
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The strikes led to four days of intense clashes, which ended with an understanding to halt military actions on May 10.
New Delhi has maintained that India’s decisive counterattack that day forced Pakistan to seek an end to the hostilities.