Islamabad: Senate session, Senator Sherry Rehman paid tribute to Pakistan’s Armed Forces, political leadership, and the unwavering resilience of its people in the wake of the recent India-Pakistan conflict.
“Today, as we celebrate Youm-e-Tashakkur in Senate, we stand united—grateful for our nation’s strength, our Armed Forces’ heroism, and the unwavering resilience of our people. This is a moment of collective pride for all Pakistanis.”
Senator Rehman expressed the Pakistan Peoples Party’s deep appreciation for the Armed Forces, particularly the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), commending their performance and acknowledging the leadership of Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.
“The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), along with all political forces, extends heartfelt appreciation to our Armed Forces. We salute the leadership of Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, and commend the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), especially our fighter pilots, for their exceptional performance. As Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari rightly said, we have not only defended our sovereignty—we have demonstrated our strategic and technological capabilities to the world.”
Senator Rehman appreciated the leadership of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
“Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari led from the front on global forums. Chairman Bilawal’s firm stance on international platforms has been a moment of immense national pride. I also want to specially acknowledge the role of President Asif Ali Zardari who supported the Armed Forces, and was seen visiting our wounded Ghazis at the hospital just yesterday—a gesture that speaks volumes of our national solidarity. We also extend sincere thanks to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his leadership.”
Paying homage to PPP’s historical legacy, Senator Rehman recalled the pivotal contributions of its past leaders to Pakistan’s defence and deterrence capabilities.
“We are very grateful to Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s vision that today we have a nuclear deterrent that has saved Pakistan, not in its usage but in its deterrence. It is he who said that we will eat grass but we will get nuclear. Also, we want to thank Mohtarma Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, under whose leadership Pakistan’s missile program matured.”
Senator Rehman appreciated international support for Pakistan “I thank China—our iron brothers—who remained a strategic winner and unwavering partner through this conflict. I also thank U.S. President Donald Trump for putting Kashmir back on the global agenda. He has hyphenated India and Pakistan again strategically, and India did not like that the United States asked for a public ceasefire. Modi himself tried to downplay it by calling it a mere pause.”
Senator Rehman asserted
“Modi cannot link Pakistan with terror on zero evidence. We can’t allow him to set this new abnormal. Terror on India’s soil is no justification for declaring war. That is international terrorism. They have to take responsibility for their soil. Else the region will plummet into war and Modi cannot set us all on a path to perpetual war.”
Senator Rehman reiterated,
“India has taken Israel’s playbook. We have great sympathies with our brothers and sisters in Palestine, but remember this, we are not Palestine—we will hit back, and we have done that with vigour, lethality and maturity.”
Senator Rehman then recounted the unprovoked nature of the conflict.
“This 87-hour war was not of our choosing—it was thrust upon us. India acted unprovoked, without any credible evidence, and falsely pinned the Pahalgam attack on Pakistan. No links, no names, and no proof were ever presented. On this fabricated pretext, India violated international law, launching an unprovoked attack on innocent civilians in the dead of night.”
She emphasized Pakistan’s restraint and maturity in its response.
“In response, Pakistan chose the path of restraint. For three whole days, we waited. And then, with precision and clarity of purpose, we responded—targeting only military installations, not civilians. Within an hour, our Pakistan Air Force altered the course of modern aerial combat history: five Indian jets were downed in a compressed battlefield, and a decisive message was delivered. The PAF didn’t just win a dogfight—it gave the enemy a bloody nose.”
Highlighting the asymmetry in military budgets and Pakistan’s tactical edge, she stated:
“This wasn’t about technology alone; it was also the skill, courage, and grit of our pilots. While India invested in high-cost systems, it was not just Pakistan’s pilots and tactical prowess that established dominance, but also the advanced Chinese military hardware and data systems. New conventional deterrence capabilities and red lines were established by Pakistan. Despite India’s defence budget being seven times larger than ours, we emerged victorious on tactical grounds.”
“This war saw the emergence of multidomain warfare, including UAVs and information warfare. India had initiated a full-spectrum conflict—on land, in the skies, and in cyberspace. They even declared that Pakistan’s map would be redrawn. But it was Pakistan’s restraint and coordinated national response that prevented further escalation.”
She issued a stern warning about India’s strategic behavior.
“Let it also be said clearly: India has weaponised water, which is a dangerous and unacceptable violation of international treaties.”
Senator Rehman concluded with a firm declaration of Pakistan’s principles and deterrence posture.
“It is a message to our neighbours across the border: do not mistake our restraint for weakness. Pakistan is a rational and mature nuclear power. If provoked again, we will exercise our right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. We do not glorify war. But we will never compromise on our sovereignty.”
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
