GARHI KHUDA BAKHSH (MNN); President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday said India should be thankful that Pakistan showed restraint, asserting that many more Indian aircraft could have been shot down had Islamabad decided to escalate the situation.
Addressing a public gathering in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on the death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, the president said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had now realised that Pakistan was fully capable of defending itself.
Referring to the clashes with India in May, President Zardari said Pakistan had downed seven Indian aircraft in air-to-air combat. He warned that if war was imposed again, Pakistan was fully prepared to respond.
The president remarked that a country claiming to be a major global economy could not sustain even four days of conflict. Reiterating his warning, he said Pakistan had shown restraint, otherwise “all their planes could have been brought down”.
Zardari said the day marked not only the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto but also a moment when Pakistan was saved, recalling the slogan “Pakistan Khappay” raised after her assassination. He said the slogan belonged to Benazir Bhutto and played a crucial role in preserving the country during a critical period.
“If anyone casts an evil eye on Pakistan, they should remember that Zardari is here, the Pakistan Peoples Party is here, and its workers are present,” he said.
He added that while India might be a big power, it lacked the resolve demonstrated by Pakistan’s leadership and armed forces. Referring to Pakistan’s president, prime minister and army chief, he said such courage could not be artificially created.
Recalling the May hostilities, President Zardari said military officials had advised him to move to a bunker, but he refused, saying leaders did not die in bunkers but on the battlefield.
He also criticised a former ruler for damaging Pakistan’s economy and harming its international relations, adding that the country had since regained its global standing. He claimed that even US President Donald Trump had praised Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
President Zardari stressed that Pakistan did not seek confrontation but would respond decisively to any aggression, adding that if the motherland ever required sacrifice, the nation was fully prepared.
