Pakistan rejects claims of 'external support' in recent military operation against India

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, rejected on Monday speculation about "external support" in Operation Bunyanum Marsoos -- a recent, high-stakes military operation launched in response to cross-border aggression by India -- calling such insinuations "irresponsible and factually incorrect".

He said these claims reflect a chronic reluctance to acknowledge Pakistan’s own strategic competence and institutional resilience.

According to the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief made these remarks during his address to graduating officers of the National Security and War Course at the National Defense University (NDU) in Islamabad.

In his speech, Field Marshal Munir emphasized the evolving nature of modern warfare and highlighted the importance of mental preparedness, operational clarity, and institutional professionalism in navigating today’s complex strategic landscape.

He commended NDU’s role in strengthening civil-military harmony and grooming future leadership to counter hybrid, conventional, and sub-conventional threats with poise and resolve.

The COAS took aim at Indian narratives. He said that New Delhi’s failure to achieve its stated military objectives during Operation Sindoor -- followed by its attempt to justify the failure through “convoluted logic” -- exposes its lack of operational readiness and strategic foresight.

“Insinuations regarding external support in Pakistan’s successful Operation Bunyanum Marsoos are irresponsible and factually incorrect,” he said. “They reflect a chronic reluctance to acknowledge indigenous capability and institutional resilience developed over decades of strategic prudence.”

India alleges China-Pakistan link

His comments follow heightened military tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. The latest escalation began after a deadly April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 tourists, prompting India to blame Pakistan-based militants.

India responded with air and missile strikes across the Line of Control. By May 7, both sides had exchanged heavy artillery fire and drone attacks, triggering fears of full-scale war. A “full and immediate ceasefire” was eventually brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump on May 10.

Adding fuel to the controversy, a senior Indian military official recently alleged that China provided Pakistan with “live inputs” on Indian military positions during the conflict.

India’s deputy army chief claimed that during DGMO-level talks, Pakistan showed detailed knowledge of Indian vectors. “Pakistan ... said that we know that your such and such important vector is primed and it is ready for action ... he was getting live inputs from China,” he alleged. However, no evidence was presented, and he did not explain how India arrived at that conclusion.

Field Marshal Munir also denounced India's alleged efforts to name other states as participants in what he described as a "purely bilateral military conflagration." He termed it “a shoddy attempt at playing camp politics,” designed to project India as a net security provider in a region that is increasingly fatigued by its “hegemonic and extremist Hindutva ideology.”

Contrasting Pakistan’s approach with India’s, Field Marshal Munir said that Islamabad has built lasting partnerships through principled diplomacy based on mutual respect and peace. “Pakistan has established itself as a stabilizer in the region,” he added.

Reiterating Pakistan’s stance on deterrence, the COAS warned that any misadventure or attempt to undermine national sovereignty would be met with a swift and resolute response. “Any attempt to target our population centers, military bases, economic hubs, or ports will instantly invoke a deeply hurting and more than reciprocal response,” he said.

“The onus of escalation will lie squarely on the strategically blind, arrogant aggressor.”

He further remarked that "wars are not won by media narratives, imported military hardware, or political sloganeering -- but through faith, professional competence, operational clarity, institutional strength, and national resolve".