RAWALPINDI: Pakistan is a peace-loving country but has the capability to “crush any force that attacks its sovereignty”, PML-N leader and President of the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society, Lt General (retd) Abdul Qayyum, said on Monday.
He was speaking as chief guest at a veterans’ event here to mark one year since Marka-e-Haq and to express solidarity with the armed forces. Vice Admiral (retd) Abdul Aleem, Air Marshal (retd) Asim Suleman, and Major General (retd) Zahid Mahmood represented the three services.
“Solidarity with the Pakistan Armed Forces and their complete support is part of every ex-serviceman’s faith,” General Qayyum said. He congratulated all segments of society — political, social, business, youth, journalists, scientists, and engineers — who took part in responding to “Indian aggression a year ago”.
Speaking to reporters later, Senator Abdul Qayyum said wars offered no lasting solutions and only caused “widespread destruction, immense loss of human lives, and enduring scars”. Pakistan remains committed to resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomacy under international law, he said, but cautioned that “this commitment to peace must not be misconstrued as weakness”.
Referring to recent tensions, he said India had “misjudged both the patriotism of the Pakistani people and the operational capability of its armed forces” by violating airspace. The response, he claimed, repelled the aggression and marked a “defining moment in South Asian strategic history”. Qayyum said the land and air forces demonstrated “rapid operational effectiveness, neutralising key adversarial capabilities and compelling a ceasefire”, while naval preparedness deterred escalation along maritime borders. He described the outcome as a “significant strategic setback for the adversary” that underscored readiness, coordination, and national unity.
He credited Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf along with the armed forces, cyber and IT professionals, scientists, political leadership, and media for the outcome.
Commenting on global geopolitics, he said the post-1991 “unipolar moment” had seen US standing eroded by military interventions, while China had risen as a major actor through economic growth and coexistence. Adherence to international law, he warned, remains essential for global stability. “Pakistan’s large community of veterans continues to stand firmly alongside its armed forces,” he concluded.
