Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday praised the armed forces and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asif Munir for what he described as their leadership and bravery during “Marka-e-Haq” and “Operation Bunyan ul-Marsoos” against India in May 2025.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Pakistan Monument marking the first anniversary of the operation, PM said India had used the Pahalgam incident as a pretext to attack Pakistan, but Islamabad had sought to prevent the situation from escalating.

He said Pakistan had offered a transparent investigation into the Pahalgam incident and warned India against confrontation.

“But the cowardly enemy, as always, launched an unannounced war on Pakistan in the darkness of the night by targeting our mosques, children and citizens,” PM said.

He said Pakistan’s military had responded forcefully, claiming that Pakistani missiles destroyed India’s air defence systems and that the Pakistan Air Force shot down enemy aircraft.

“In just four hours, the enemy called for a ceasefire,” he said.

PM Shehbaz said India had failed to provide evidence regarding the Pahalgam incident despite the passage of a year.

He described “Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsoos” as a “historic military success” and announced that May 10 would be observed annually as “Marka-e-Haq Day” without a public holiday.

The prime minister also paid tribute to Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar and Navy chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf for their roles during the conflict.

He thanked US President Donald Trump for what he called a “historic role” in helping bring peace to the region and preventing further escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

“If the flames of war between the two nuclear powers had ignited further, it is not difficult to guess that the outcome would have been terrible,” he said.

He also thanked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and China for supporting Pakistan during the crisis.

PM Shehbaz described China as a “great and reliable friend” that had provided political and moral support to Pakistan.

The prime minister said Pakistan was continuing diplomatic efforts to promote peace in the region and claimed Islamabad had played a role in facilitating dialogue between Iran and the United States.

PM reiterated Pakistan’s support for Palestinians and the people of Kashmir and said the country would continue raising its voice against human rights violations at international forums.

He also referred to Pakistan’s ongoing operations against militant groups, saying members of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies were continuing to sacrifice their lives in the fight against terrorism.

PM said the government would provide resources for the education and training of young people to support the country’s development.