Sixty Years of Jingoism

Each year on September 6, Pakistan observes Defence Day in various parts of Pakistan, remembering the 1965 war with India in which it not only suffered territorial losses but also heavy casualties and a humiliating defeat at the hands of India, though the country was then led by no other than military strongman and dictator, Field Marshal Ayub Khan. This year, however, the Defence Day had a different flavor as Pakistan had decided to keep the armed forces in good humor in light of another humiliating and devastating impact on its military infrastructures and the bastions of the homegrown terror bases including at Markaz Subhan Allah, Bahawalpur, Markaz Taiba, Muridke, Sarjal, Tehra Kalan, Mehmoona Joya, Sialkot, Markaz Ahle Hadith, Barnala, Markaz Abbas and Maskar Raheel Shahid both in Kotli, and Shawai Nalla Camp and Syedna Bilal Camp, both at Muzaffarabad in the wake of Operation Sindoor effectively launched by India teaching an unforgettable lesson to the Pakistan.

Again, this year, President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other leaders while paying tributes to their fallen armed personnel of the 1965 war, commemorated the day by holding several activities including a 31 guns salute, special prayers in different mosques, Change of Guards in the Mausoleum of Mohammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi, holding a commemorative ceremony at the Mausoleum of Allama Iqal and other programmes. Basically, the 60th anniversary of the Defence Day was ostensibly to keep alive the military conflict in the aftermath of the Pakistan-sponsored Pahalgam attack on April 22 and the loss of face in the four-day counter-offensive (Operation Sindoor) unleashed by India. Continuing with its 60th anniversary of the Defence Day on September 6, the focus was once again on the operation Bunyanum Marsoos to remind the country and to keep the war frenzy alive. This is typically a hallmark of a military regime reminiscent of the dictatorial regimes in South America, especially during the Cold War days.

It is indeed surprising that civilian political dispensation in Pakistan continues to either fear or flatter its military leadership, which has been calling the shots on the ground within and outside the country. This is more than evident by Army Chief Asim Munir’s two visits to the US not so long ago, including being hosted a lunch by President Trump in White House, as well as the Army Chief’s recommendation to the concerned body for a Nobel Prize to P.O.T.U.S. The government of Shahbaz Sharif seems to be just a nominal figurehead with no powers to administer or to make any decisions. All the major policy decisions on national or international affairs are being taken by the Army Chief with scant or no respect for the civilian government. This indeed is a sad commentary on the State of Affairs of Pakistan, which continues to struggle for an identity, and Defence Day is an occasion for it to pander to the armed forces lest their (civilian) survival remains threatened. To prove this, it must be reiterated that on Defence Day this year, marking the 60th anniversary, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif praised the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir in glowing terms, which was devoid of any taste or class.

Most significantly, on September 6, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the military leadership avowed to “liberate” Jammu and Kashmir from India. Such a reprehensible statement also shows that the leadership in Pakistan not only wants to keep the military on the right side but also wants to continue with its efforts to keep the Kashmir issue venomously alive in the minds of the general Pakistani population so that they are also in sync with the military, espousing acerbic hatred towards India and the Indian people.

In this context, it would not be out of place to remind the readers about the caustic anti-India hate speech delivered time and again by Asim Munir, first in Islamabad on April 16, and then again multiple times, even on US soil. Hence, this year’s 60th Defence Day ceremonies were marked with hate speeches, anti-India rhetoric, and instilling war-like jingoism in the minds of the people.

In the meantime, Pakistan stepped up with a Missile programme to take it further from its long-range operational ballistic missile, the Shaheen-III, which has a range of 2,750 km. Pakistan also has South Asia’s first MIRV-enabled ballistic missile called Ababeel, which can strike up to 2,200 km range. Yet, it is the shortest-ranged MIRV-enabled system deployed by any nuclear-armed state. Tughral Yamin, a former Pakistani army brigadier and nuclear policy scholar, said the country’s missile ambitions reflect divergent priorities. Pakistan’s programme is entirely India-specific and “defensive” in nature, while India’s ambitions extend beyond the subcontinent. Its long-range systems are designed for global power projection, particularly vis-à-vis China, and to establish itself as a great power with credible deterrence against major States. Yamin is also the author of The Evolution of Nuclear Deterrence in South Asia.

It is also pertinent to state here that Ashley J Tellis, of the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), gave out that while India wants to be able to range China and Pakistan, Islamabad is building the capability to keep Israel – and even the US – in its range, in addition to India. It may be recalled that Pakistan’s missile programme came under intense spotlight in December last year when a senior White House official warned of Islamabad’s growing military ambitions. Jon Finer, serving in the then-Biden administration, had described Pakistan’s pursuit of advanced missile technology as an “emerging threat” to the United States. Pakistan had publicly displayed its Fatah-4 missile on the eve of the country’s 78th Independence Day on August 14, 2025, in Islamabad. By contrast, Tellis said India’s growing arsenal is not viewed as destabilising by Washington or its allies.

More on the topic of defence in Pakistan, earlier, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had announced (August 14) the creation of the Army Rocket Force at a ceremony held in Islamabad to commemorate the “worst conflict” in decades with India in May this year. The ceremony was held a day ahead of Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day, with Sharif saying that it would be equipped with modern technology, adding that the force would prove to be a milestone in strengthening the combat capability of Pakistan’s Army. A senior security official further said that the force would have its own command in the military, which will be dedicated to handling and deployment of missiles in any event of a conventional war. It is obvious that it is meant for India.

Seeing the 60th Defence Day activities, the acerbic anti-India activities and ongoing missile and rocket programs, it is clear that Pakistan continues to be belligerent in the mode and mood of war, and its target is definitely India. To counter its Western neighbour, which has a military fervour in running the government and is armed to the teeth with war-like ambitions, India needs to intensify its defence programme to preempt any Pakistani military designs to harm India’s territorial and security interests.

Views expressed are personal. The writer is a retired IPS officer, Adviser NatStrat, and a former National Security Advisor in Mauritius