Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says the victory secured by Pakistan in stand-off with India is not only a success of the entire nation and armed forces of Pakistan, but a victory of principles and prestige.

Addressing the nation on Television and Radio Pakistan on Saturday night, he said "Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos”, was against hatred, prejudice, animosity towards humanity, aggression and religious fanaticism.

The Prime Minister said the nation and our armed forces proved that Pakistanis are a brave, self-possessing and prudent nation.

He said the enemy’s actions were shameful, cowardly, and blatantly aggressive, which were responded by the armed forces of Pakistan valiantly, effectively and in a professional manner. He said India imposed an unwarranted war on Pakistan under the pretext of Pahalgam incident. It launched drones and missile attacks on civilian population, mosques and crowded places. It also made failed attempts to attack our military installations.

Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan offered India a credible and transparent investigation into the Pahalgam incident, but India did not respond positively. He said Pakistan exercised maximum restraint. However, we decided to respond to our enemy in a befitting manner.

He said our armed forces’ response to the aggressor India was befitting, which severely dented their so-called military might. He said our brave falconers destroyed Indian military installations, airbases and arms depots.

He said Indian military assets were engaged and destroyed by Pakistan Army within hours, adding that the Pakistan Air Force targeted and effectively shot down India’s Rafale fighter jets.

The Prime Minister congratulated the entire nation and armed forces for emerging victorious and securing a splendid victory against the enemy.

The Prime Minister extended his heartfelt congratulations to Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of the Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf and all brave officers and jawans of the armed forces, whose restless efforts, bravery, prowess and resolve led to this great and historic victory.

He said the entire nation offers salute and stands shoulder to shoulder with their valiant armed forces for crushing the nefarious designs of the enemy. He paid great homage to Shuhada and expressed solidarity with the heirs saying that the entire nation is proud of you.

Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan has given a positive response to ceasefire with India in the interest of regional peace, and for the sake of the lives of the millions of people.

He said the path of peaceful negotiations in line with principles of justice should be adopted to solve the longstanding issues including distribution of water resources and the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Prime Minister also thanked the entire political leadership including the coalition partners and opposition for demonstrating exemplary and unprecedented unity and integrity. 

Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan responded positively to international diplomatic efforts. He expressed gratitude to all friendly countries, including the leadership of the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and the United Nations Secretary General for playing their proactive role in de-escalating tensions and reaching a ceasefire.  

He specially mentioned the efforts and support of Pakistan’s time tested and trustworthy friend China, which remained standing with Pakistan in this hour of turbulence.

The Prime Minister also paid tribute to the journalist community and social media users for combating Indian fake news and upholding media integrity, calling it a beacon of national strength.

He said responsible reporting by media persons exposed false narratives of India and set an example for the entire world.

The Prime Minister expressed the resolve to continue working towards ensuring Pakistan’s prosperity and development, saying the nation’s courage and unity will always shine through every test.