Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry clarified Pakistan’s position on the ceasefire and outlined the military’s strategic handling of the escalation, firmly stating that Pakistan “never requested for a ceasefire.”
“Let me put it on record: Pakistan never requested a ceasefire,” the DG ISPR said in a detailed briefing on Sunday. “On the night of May 6 and 7, after those dastardly and cowardly attacks were made, Indians requested [a ceasefire] and Pakistan gave a very clear response—that we will communicate back only after we have given the response that this act deserves,” he added.
According to Lt Gen Chaudhry, it was only after Pakistan had executed its retaliatory campaign under ‘Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos’ that Islamabad responded to Indian overtures. “So on May 10, after the response and retribution […] and on the request and intervention of international interlocutors, we responded to the already made request of the Indians.”
He also addressed viral claims circulating on social media about an Indian pilot allegedly being captured by Pakistani forces. “I want to categorically state that Pakistan has no Indian pilot in custody,” he said, attributing the reports to “social media chatter” and disinformation campaigns. “This is all part of fake news and propaganda that has been generated from multiple sources.”
Highlighting the high stakes of escalation between two nuclear-armed neighbours, DG ISPR called the idea of war between India and Pakistan “inconceivable” and “sheer stupidity.”
“In a conflict between two rival nuclear powers … such a conflict is actually an absurdity,” he said, adding, “In the case of India and Pakistan, such a conflict can lead to peril of more than 1.6 billion people.”
He added, “In reality, there is no space for war between India and Pakistan, and if anyone wants to carve out this space for war, he is actually carving out the space for mutual annihilation.”
Despite provocations, Lt Gen Chaudhry stated that Pakistan had acted with strategic maturity throughout the conflict. He said the response to Indian aggression was carefully managed to avoid uncontrolled escalation, while still delivering a “two-notch” higher reply using conventional military forces.
“This is why you saw how in this conflict Pakistan acted in a very mature manner and through conventional forces, we maintained escalation control,” he said. “Through conventional forces, we gave them a two-notch up response, while also ensuring that the Pakistan forces employed on the counterterrorism operations…no pull is also exerted on them,” he added.
DG ISPR described Pakistan’s ‘Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos’ against India as a comprehensive national response to Indian aggression, stating that the armed forces had fulfilled every promise made to the nation.
“Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos has been a great example of the coming together of all elements of national power,” he said. “With the overwhelming support of the Pakistani public, we effectively countered a direct threat to our national sovereignty, integrity, and our great motherland,” he added.
Lt Gen Chaudhry reiterated that the Pakistan Armed Forces had made three clear commitments at the outset of the conflict: “We will give a befitting response to Indian aggression. That response will come at a time, place, and through methods of our own choosing. And when we hit back, the entire world will know—it won’t be something you’ll need the Indian media to tell you.”
Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed said that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) successfully intercepted Indian aggression by downing aircraft, neutralising drone threats, and striking military installations.
“India targeted Pakistani civilian populations using drones,” said Air Vice Marshal Ahmed. “The armed forces responded by destroying Indian military installations and terrorism training centres.”
He added that the PAF downed multiple Indian aircraft following their airspace violation. “In response to the Indian Air Force’s aggression, their fighter jets were shot down. Pakistan Air Force achieved a six-nil success ratio against the Indian Air Force,” he said.
Ahmed said Pakistan exercised caution when Indian drones entered civilian areas. “We took care to bring them down without causing civilian casualties. All drones and unmanned aircraft were detected in time,” he stated.
He further revealed that Pakistan’s air defence system successfully intercepted a BrahMos missile. “The BrahMos missile attack was neutralised by our air defence system. The PAF effectively targeted the enemy using its full capabilities,” he added.
On comparisons between the Indian Rafale jets and Pakistan’s indigenous fighters, Ahmed said: “Rafale is an excellent combat aircraft, but what truly matters is the pilot’s training. The JF-17 is a source of pride for Pakistan.”
Vice Admiral Rab Nawaz stated that the Pakistan Navy successfully maintained maritime security against a “numerically superior enemy,” ensuring swift and invisible transition from peace to operational readiness amid recent tensions with India.
“On any given day of the year, we maintain perpetual readiness. Our ships and submarines are stocked up and for us, the transition from peace to war is not only swift, it is invisible,” said Vice Admiral Nawaz during a military briefing.
He noted that following the false flag incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the Pakistan Navy completed its operational deployment within hours. “Our subs, our ships and aircraft were in their respective areas and we were ready to thwart any aggression from the sea.”
Highlighting the role of maritime domain awareness, he said, “To generate any response, you need to be aware of what’s happening in your area of responsibility and we were maintaining 24/7 vision at sea.”
Addressing the reported movement of India’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, he said, “There was a hype about INS Vikrant approaching Karachi. We were keeping a very close eye on the activities at sea. On the night of May 6 and 7, it was close to Bombay and on May 9, it was 400 nautical miles from the Pakistani coast and it retreated close to Bombay.”
He added that Pakistan’s Navy Maritime Air Arm was fully prepared to respond. “If a carrier gets within 400 nautical miles, it simplifies our problem,” he said. “I was in contact with Deputy Chief of Air Staff Aurangzeb at all times. If there was any aggression from the sea, we were ready to respond effectively.”
“As a pro military officer, I don’t want to underestimate the enemy, but let’s put some things in perspective. The Vikrant sails with 8–12 MiG-29s — barely essential to carry out its own air defence,” he remarked.
“The enemy fully understood the cost they would have to pay for venturing from the sea, and so they didn’t,” Vice Admiral Nawaz concluded.
Earlier on Saturday, India carried out airstrikes on three Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases — Nur Khan, Murid, and Shorkot. In response, Pakistan launched a retaliatory military operation named ‘Bunyan-un-Marsoos’ against the Indian aggression. Following the intervention of US President Donald Trump to de-escalate tensions between the two nuclear-armed states, a ceasefire was reached.
