On 7th May 2025, Pakistan’s military forces took the international security community by surprise when it demonstrated operational superiority against its larger belligerent adversary India with its rapid and coordinated response.

The Four-Day conflict proved to be a watershed moment for Pakistan, marking its rapid emergence as an important player in the region. In recent years, amidst the ongoing global competition between the United States and China, Islamabad has adopted a position of ’Strategic Balancing,’ where it maintains ties of cooperation with both Beijing and Washington. Deft diplomacy, emphasis on geo-economics, and credible conventional and strategic deterrence have remained the foundational pillars for Pakistan’s ambition as a rising middle power.

Operation Marka-e-Haq was a pivotal moment in Pakistan’s recent rise, establishing its credibility as a peer adversary to India by shooting down seven aircraft and striking 26 targets deep inside enemy territory. The May conflict boosted the stature of PAF and broke the myth of the superiority of western platforms. This provided a unique opportunity for Pakistan to expand its footprint in the global arms market, with JF-17 emerging as one of the major defence platforms in demand. The ‘thunder’ is currently operated in Nigeria and Myanmar, and reportedly........

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