The Perils of Delusions of Supremacy. The Indian Army Chief and the Reality of Great PAKISTAN

By Major Waseem Mahmood Butt (Retd.)

Defence Analyst, Columnist; President] PESAF Veterans’, Great PAKISTAN

The history of the subcontinent bears witness to a timeless truth: nations intoxicated by the illusion of power often attempt to shatter the mirror of reality, yet reality endures unaltered. The recent anti-Pakistan statement by the Indian Army Chief is a manifestation of the same mindset—one that continues to nurture the misplaced assumption that South Asia is a region destined to remain subordinate to New Delhi’s ambitions.

India perhaps forgets that PAKISTAN is not a temporary geographical accident, but an ideological, nuclear, and military reality. It is a state founded upon the sacrifices of millions, whose *people have consistently stood shoulder to shoulder with their Armed Forces in every hour of trial, conveying to the world that the Defense of the homeland is not merely a Duty, but an article of FAITH.*
The Indian leadership must recognize that South Asia is not the exclusive domain of any single power. Peace in the region cannot be established through intimidation, coercive rhetoric, or aggressive posturing; rather, it can only emerge through mutual respect, justice, and the equitable resolution of historical disputes. Statements issued under the intoxication of power may generate temporary headlines, but they do not shape history.

Recent developments—particularly Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos—once again demonstrated, under the spirited and courageous leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, that Pakistan possesses the full capability to safeguard its security, sovereignty, and national dignity. Pakistan’s Armed Forces, especially its valiant “Shaheens,” responded to every hostile provocation with professional excellence, restraint, and unwavering defensive resolve. The message heard not only across the border, but throughout the world, was unequivocal: Pakistan desires peace, not weakness.
The increasingly aggressive narrative emerging from India is, in reality, a byproduct of the dangerous “illusion of grandeur” that often distances rising powers from the ground realities of history and geopolitics. History repeatedly shows that leaderships which underestimate their adversaries, inflame war hysteria for domestic political gains, and make decisions under the arrogance of military superiority ultimately push their own regions toward instability and chaos.

Pakistan has always made its position clear: it does not seek war. However, if war is imposed upon it, the nation and the Armed Forces of Pakistan know how to defend the homeland at every cost. This nation possesses not only nuclear capability, but also an ideological foundation and a tradition of sacrifice that no threat can intimidate or undermine.
Today, there is an urgent need for India’s political and military leadership to view South Asia not through the prism of dominance and hegemony, but through the lens of shared progress, economic cooperation, and sustainable peace. The future of more than one and a half billion people cannot rest upon inflammatory rhetoric, but upon wisdom, restraint, and realism.
Even prior to the events of May 2025, during a Pakistan Ex-Servicemen press conference held on 6 May 2025, Major Waseem Mahmood Butt (Retd.) conveyed through both national and international media a clear message to India:

“As Muslims and Pakistanis, we do not initiate aggression. However, when an enemy attacks, we deliver a lesson it never forgets — as Great Pakistan demonstrated during Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos from 7–10 May 2025, and as the world witnessed.”

At the same press conference, he further warned:

“ If India attempts to block Pakistan’s water by constructing new reservoirs, then from that day onward, our children—and the children of the world—will read in their history books: ‘Once upon a time, there was an India.’”
The lesson of history is unmistakably clear: nations do not attain greatness through threats, but through character.