Press Release – ACDC-ISSI Launches Latest Book “Operation Bunyanum Marsoos: Deterrence, Doctrinal Shifts, and...

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Press Release - ACDC-ISSI Launches Latest Book "Operation Bunyanum Marsoos: Deterrence, Doctrinal Shifts, and Strategic Stability in South Asia" to Commemorate Marka-e-Haq

Press Release
ACDC-ISSI Launches Latest Book "Operation Bunyanum Marsoos: Deterrence, Doctrinal Shifts, and Strategic Stability in South Asia"
to Commemorate Marka-e-Haq

The Arms Control and Disarmament Centre (ACDC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) organized the launch of its book titled "Operation Bunyanum Marsoos: Deterrence, Doctrinal Shifts, and Strategic Stability in South Asia," edited by Malik Qasim Mustafa, at ISSI. The book offers a comprehensive, multi-domain analysis of the May 2025 India-Pakistan crisis. The event featured contributing authors, including Dr. Asma Shakir Khawaja, Executive Director, CISS AJK; Vice Admiral Dr. Ahmed Saeed (Retd.), former President, NIMA; and Maj. Gen. Ausaf Ali (Retd.), former Director General Policy, Doctrine and Strategy, SPD. The event was graced by the Chief Guest, Mr. Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, while Gen. Zubair Mehmood Hayat, NI(M), HI(M) (Retd.), delivered the keynote address.

The Chief Guest of the ceremony, Honorable Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, lauded the publication as a crucial addition to the strategic literature of South Asia. He commended Pakistan's armed forces and state leadership for handling the crisis with utmost responsibility, resolve, and precision. He emphasized that Pakistan effectively countered misinformation through timely and fact-based engagement with international media and diplomatic forums. He stated that Pakistan successfully projected its narrative globally while exposing the weaknesses and contradictions in India's claims. India's persistent hegemonic designs in South Asia are increasingly driven by the ideological undercurrents of Hindutva. To justify its aggressive postures, New Delhi routinely employs extremism and relies heavily on the execution of orchestrated false-flag operations - a pattern that exposes a fundamental lack of clarity within India's strategic decision-making. In the ongoing battle of narratives, he said it is an undeniable fact that India continues to utilize state-sponsored terrorism as an instrument of regional policy. Pakistan successfully countered these maneuvers not only on the battlefield but also on the global stage. Islamabad's swift, coordinated diplomatic efforts across the world were instrumental in exposing these aggressive designs, securing a decisive diplomatic victory for Pakistan, and reinforcing its position as a responsible, stabilizing power in the region.

Speaking on the occasion, the Keynote Speaker, General Zubair Mehmood Hayat, NI(M) (Retd), former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, noted that the May 2025 crisis completely exposed the limitations of India's aggressive military doctrines, proving that its provocative strategies cannot bypass Pakistan's robust deterrence. In an era where global perceptions are vital and strategic narratives are fiercely contested, Pakistan's defense posture rests on clarity of thought, stability, and a deeply coherent strategic logic. May 2025 demonstrated the spectacular failure of New Delhi's "New Normal" doctrine. India's dangerous assumption that limited war can be controlled under a nuclear overhang is flawed; escalation in South Asia is non-linear, deeply intertwined with subjective perceptions, and highly prone to miscalculation. He stated that Pakistan's precise operational responses have effectively denied India the ability to dominate the escalation ladder, significantly raising the cost of foreign adventurism while demonstrating that New Delhi consistently underestimates Pakistani resolve. True regional stability cannot be achieved until the root causes of instability - namely the core flashpoints of Jammu and Kashmir, alongside critical water security issues - are justly addressed.

Earlier, in his welcome remarks, Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman Board of Governors ISSI, said that the book provides a vital, objective academic record of the crisis, analyzing not just the kinetic operational response but also how emerging technologies such as cyber, space, and AI are reshaping South Asian deterrence dynamics. During the May 2025 conflict, Pakistan effectively dismantled the untenable assumption that conventional military action could be pursued below the nuclear threshold without consequence. This outcome reaffirmed the credibility of Pakistan's deterrence posture and the resolve of its armed forces, its institutions, and its people.

In her remarks, Dr. Asma Shakir Khuwaja, Executive Director CISS Azad & Jammu Kashmir, talked about how the May 2025 conflict saw a dangerous escalation in the cyber and information domains, where state-backed narratives, deepfakes, and kinetic-cyber synchronization tried to manipulate public perception. She argued that the introduction of emerging technologies significantly compressed the time available for leadership to verify data, escalating miscalculation risks.

Vice Admiral Dr. Ahmed Saeed, HI(M) (Retd.) highlighted the critical readiness of Pakistan Navy during the crisis to protect the country's sea lines of communication and maritime trade against any hostile blockade or projection of force. He pointed out that India's growing naval expansionism and strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific necessitate a robust, continuously modernized maritime defense posture by Pakistan to prevent strategic encirclement.

Reflecting on the operational dimensions, Maj. Gen. Ausaf Ali, HI, HI(M) (Retd), former Director General Policy, Doctrine & Strategy SPD, said that the seamless integration of conventional and non-conventional capabilities marks a pivotal shift in the paradigm of modern warfare. Emphasizing this evolution, the PAF increasingly prioritized Multi-Domain Operations (MDO), recognizing that future victory belongs to states that dynamically incorporate emerging technologies into their overarching defense strategy.

Earlier, Malik Qasim Mustafa, Director ACDC, said that India's unprovoked action, aimed at eroding regional peace and stability, not only ignored regional nuclear dynamics but also introduced a very dangerous trend through its so-called "new strategic posture" of "deterrence by punishment." However, Pakistan's well-calibrated response changed the way deterrence operates in the region by combining military action, doctrinal clarity, and strategic communication to preserve equilibrium.

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