Pakistan Air Chief Marshal urges India to adopt 'mature stance' to resolve Kashmir issue

KAKUL: Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, on Saturday urged India to adopt a mature approach to resolve the issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in accordance with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

Addressing the passing-out ceremony at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul, he said the armed forces of Pakistan are entrusted with the noble mission of defending the motherland, adding that there is no greater honour than serving as guardians of the nation. He reminded the cadets of the long history of sacrifices made by the officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army.

He stated that Pakistan’s defence forces are professionally competent, well-trained, and fully capable of addressing both internal and external challenges. He said they are equipped in line with modern warfare requirements.

The Air Chief said this capability was demonstrated during Pakistan’s “resolute and unified response” in May 2025 operations, referred to as Marka-e-Haq (Battle of Truth) and Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos against India, which he said “stunned the world.”

He added that the response reflected integrated tri-services jointness enabled by real-time situational awareness and net-centric warfare capabilities.

According to him, this synergy across land, air, and sea forces allowed precision engagements and rapid operational tempo, describing the outcome as a result of unified national effort and divine support with Allah’s special blessing.

The Air Chief further said the Pakistan Air Force, in coordination with sister services, upheld its tradition of fighting against numerical superiority.

He said that the PAF downed advanced enemy aircraft during the intense and longest BVR (Beyond Visual Range) air battle in aerial history, but also struck bases and ground assets deeply into adversary territory from north to south with precision.

He also stated that state-of-the-art defence systems, including the S-400, and command and control centres were neutralised at various locations.

“Without any doubt, Pakistan Air Force could have gone further but showed matchless responsibility and restraint as we inherited a mature strategic culture”, the Air Chief Marshal stated.

He said the capabilities demonstrated during Marka-e-Haq were the result of long-term restructuring, modernisation, and indigenisation efforts undertaken by the Pakistan Air Force.

“The indigenous battle-tested capability developed in record time gives us the immense confidence that our sovereignty will never be undermined by any aggressor Inshallah”, he said.

The Air Chief pledged the Pakistan Air Force will continue the modernisation in order to pivotingly address the emerging new geopolitical realities in the region.

He said that the Pakistan Air Force is vigorously pursuing dozens of projects of strategic significance, some of which are in the development stage and quite a few are near completion, which will not only add to the frontline capability of PAF in particular but also of defence forces in general.

He noted that the global environment is increasingly volatile, with shifting power dynamics and regional conflicts that often have wider international implications. Despite this, he said, Pakistan is actively pursuing a policy of regional peace.

He reiterated that Pakistan has the full capability to respond decisively to any aggressor. “We expect a mature stance from the adversary to resolve the issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in accordance with the UN resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s continued moral, political, and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people in their struggle for self-determination.