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ISLAMABAD, Sep 6 (APP):The Arms Control and Disarmament Centre (ACDC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) Saturday organized a ceremony to commemorate the Pakistan Defence Day 2025 with thematic focus was “Marka-a-Haq and the Future of Warfare in South Asia.”
A large number of members of the ISSI Research Faculty, Interns, and students participated, said a press release.
Ambassador (Retd) Sohail Mahmood, Director General ISSI, in his remarks on the occasion, paid rich tributes to the valiant Armed Forces and to the martyrs who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of Pakistan.
He noted that since its inception, Pakistan had faced an existential threat from India, and the Indian involvement in the dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971 yet again proved her animus. After India’s nuclear test of 1974, Pakistan was forced on the path of acquiring nuclear capabilities.Pakistan’s nuclear tests of 1998 in response to Indian nuclear explosions removed the existential threat and made the country’s defence impregnable, he added.
Sohail Mahmood said that Pakistan was now seeking to disabuse India of its false notion that there was space for limited conventional war under the nuclear threshold, adding that Pakistan had always supported constructive engagement and result-oriented dialogue. The Hindutva-inspired BJP regime in India, however, he said that believed in confrontation and conflict rather than dialogue and diplomacy.
He said that Pakistan remained committed to peaceful coexistence, but if its sovereignty and territorial integrity were threatened, then it would respond firmly and effectively. Pakistan’s response to Indian aggression in May 2025 once again demonstrated the Pakistani nation’s unshakeable resolve. Pakistan’s swift and professional response also amplified its image at the international level, he maintained.
He concluded by stressing that the country’s defence was a multi-dimensional enterprise-including national unity, economic strength, social cohesion, and robust defence capability.
Earlier, Malik Qasim Mustafa, Director ACDC, stated that even after the ceasefire of the May 2025 conflict, India’s actions and intentions were aimed at undermining the prospects of regional peace and deterrence stability. It was shifting towards nuclear and conventional war-fighting doctrines and postures. On the other hand, Pakistan was making every effort to overcome challenges to deterrence stability in South Asia, he added. However, he said that Pakistan needed to modernize its military capabilities, including its means of delivery, to deter any future attack, aggression, or any unintentional escalation.
Ms. Aleena Afzal and Ms. Hadia Akhtar, research assistants at the ACDC, gave a presentation on “Marka-e-Haq and the Future of Warfare in South Asia.” After giving a brief background of the Pahalgam incident and Pakistan’s response to India’s unprovoked aggression in May 2025, they highlighted how integrated multi-domain operations would be shaping the future of warfare. They identified that key emerging and disruptive technologies, like AI, drones, hypersonic missiles, cybersecurity, and network-centric warfare, were going to change the future of warfare in the region. Their presentation connected the spirit of Defence Day with the evolving realities of conflict, reminding that honoring past sacrifices also meant preparing for the challenges of tomorrow.
In the interactive session, participants highlighted that this year’s Defence Day carried special significance. For many young people, the Day had long been linked only to the war of 1965–something that felt like a distant chapter. But the events of May 2025 gave the Defence Day a renewed meaning, showing its continued significance today. The May 2025 conflict once again underlined the value of Pakistan’s status as a nuclear-armed state. They emphasized that nuclear weapons remained a defining feature of South Asia’s strategic balance. Furthermore, while advanced weapons were important, strategy and national resolve were what truly shaped outcomes.