'Not a nation that bows': Bilawal hails Pakistan’s triumph over India in Marka-i-Haq

KARACHI: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday praised what he described as Pakistan’s victory against India during last year’s military confrontation, saying the country had shown it would not yield under pressure.

He was speaking at an event in Karachi organised by the Sindh government to mark Marka-i-Haq. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also addressed the gathering.

The term Marka-i-Haq is used by the state for the 2025 conflict with India, beginning with the April 22 Pahalgam attack and ending with Operation Bunyanum Marsoos and a ceasefire on May 10.

Bilawal, who also served as foreign minister and led a delegation abroad to present Pakistan’s position on the conflict, said the outcome was not solely about military strength.

He said, This victory was not the victory of weapons alone. It was a triumph of resolve. It was a triumph of unity and of people who refused to kneel.

He added, From the mountains of the north to the shores of the Arabian Sea, from the fields of Punjab to the deserts of Sindh and Balochistan, Pakistan stood as one.

Bilawal said, We are not a nation that bows before pressure. We are not a nation that compromises its sovereignty. We are a nation that rises again and again, stronger, prouder and more united.

Recalling the period of the conflict, he said Pakistan had faced uncertainty a year earlier as tensions escalated along its borders.

He said, Our armed forces fought with courage, discipline and honour. Our diplomats defended our position with clarity and conviction, and our brave and resilient people stood firm behind their nation.

Bilawal added, Today, we do not merely mark the passage of time. We mark the endurance of a nation. We commemorate not just a victory, but the vindication of the very idea of Pakistan.

He also said, The air was thick with fear, speculation, and the designs of those who believed Pakistan could be bent, broken or bullied. They were wrong.

According to Bilawal, success should not be judged by land captured or battles won, but by dignity and sovereignty being protected. He said victory was measured by the message that Pakistan would not be coerced, silenced or made to surrender.

He also criticised those outside Pakistan whom he said were trying to reshape the historical narrative, arguing that history was not determined by noise but by nations that endured.

Bilawal said Pakistan neither sought confrontation nor celebrated war. He said, But when the test came, we did not falter. We stood our ground not out of aggression, but out of necessity; not out of ambition, but out of duty. This moment demands not arrogance but reflection, not complacency but responsibility.

Speaking about the future, he said the outcome of the conflict also placed responsibilities on the country.

He said, The burden to ensure that the sacrifices made are honoured not only in words but in action. […] This means investing in our people, education, health, and opportunity. It means strengthening our economy so that no external pressure can dictate our destiny. It means pursuing peace not as a sign of weakness, but as a reflection of strength.

The former foreign minister said peace had to be just, dignified and mutual. Addressing young people, he said, This victory belongs to you as much as it does to any institution or any individual. You are the custodians of this nation’s future.

Background to Marka-i-Haq

Two days after the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed, India announced a series of measures against Pakistan, including the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

Pakistan responded by suspending all trade, closing its airspace to Indian flights and shutting the Wagah border.

Later, on the night of May 6-7, New Delhi carried out air strikes in Pakistan over allegations linked to the Pahalgam attack, which Islamabad denied.

In response, the Pakistan Air Force downed five Indian jets, with the tally later raised to seven. After both countries carried out strikes on each other’s airbases, a ceasefire was reached on May 10 following American intervention.

The government named the period of the conflict Marka-i-Haq and declared that May 10, the day of the retaliatory Operation Bunyanum Marsoos against India, would be observed each year as Youm-i-Marka-i-Haq.