The Field Marshal Plan

John F Kennedy once said, “No matter how big the lie; repeat it often and the masses will regard it as truth”. Wisdom says quotes more often are like guidelines that can’t be applied across the board in every situation. But radicalism defies logic. Pakistan with institutionalized radicalization and military holding democracy to ransom, is double-timing America and China. So, Asim Munir promoted himself to Field Marshal; Shehbaz Sharif otherwise could be jailed like his brother Nawaz Sharif was.  PAF chief Zaheer Ahmad Baber Sidhu has also been given an extension.  

An independent assessment (utilizing real-time ISR validation, cross-verified media reporting, and classified budgetary tenders) pegs PAF’s losses in Op ‘Sindoor’ to USD 3.35 billion plus; which includes 4 x F-16 Fighter jets, one Saab 2000 AEW&C, one IL-76 refuelling tanker, 2 x CM-400AKG missiles, 2 x Shaheen missiles, 6 x Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs, PAF’s expenditure in operational activities and readiness measures during the conflict, plus repairing damage to key PAF bases like Nur Khan (hangars, AEW&C shelters, control centres) and Mushaf, Sargodha (F-16 bays, radar, command infrastructure. The IMF has defended the USD 1 billion bailout to Pakistan and the World Bank (courtesy China) is doling out another USD 20 billion to Pakistan.

To India’s excitement, ‘H.R.6069, the Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act’ was introduced in the US senate in the US Congress on September 20, 2016 (https://www.spsmai.com/experts-speak/?id=280&q=Terrorist-State-Will-Pakistan-get-the-tag), but the outcome was zilch. India has spent crores to launch F-32 (https://www.thecitizen.in/opinion/india-launches-f-32-1144377) politico-diplomatic outreach. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently said India will handle Pakistan bilaterally - why then solicit globally for ‘someone’ to blame Pakistan for the Pahalgam massacre? One view is this money would have been better utilised added to the defence budget. A scholar points to Zurich University's AI experiment on Reddit, growing  exponentially on social media, would be 100-times more effective in correcting India’s global perception compared to F-22 (https://www.science.org/content/article/unethical-ai-research-reddit-under-fire).

Pakistan army’s Bible is the book "The Quranic Concept of War"  (https://archive.org/details/thequranicconceptofwarskmalik), with the forward written by then Pak army chief Zia-ul-Haq and  preface by Allah Bukhsh K Brohi. Zia wrote, "The professional soldier in a Muslim army cannot become professional if in all his activities he does not take on the [true] colour of Allah" - Islam’s concept of war is not simply the duty of the Muslim soldier but the common Muslim also. Brohi says, “In Islam, war is waged to establish supremacy of Allah only when every other argument has failed to convince those who reject His will”.  Brohi compares all nonbelievers with "cancerous malformation", to be killed even if it be by “surgical means." This should clarify what Pakistan is and will continue to be. We may talk about impoverished Pakistan but it will not be allowed to sink and when jihad is the ultimate aim, poverty is immaterial – see Afghanistan and where Bangladesh is headed.

The Great Game in South Asia indicates Pakistan’s 1,000-cut policy originated in Washington, and America plus China dislike rising India. Indian Armed Forces performed admirably in Op ‘Sindoor’ and India’s new normal in deterrence is acknowledged globally (https://smallwarsjournal.com/2025/05/22/indias-wake-up-call-why-us-defense-reform-must-match-the-speed-of-modern-war/). But did we notice how Donald Trump favoured Pakistan before and after Op Sindoor (https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10161850078729775&id=674879774&rdid=b9I9niNsESVhNATX#). A day after Trump announced India-Pakistan ceasefire, cities across Pakistan witnessed crowds riding cars/motorbikes, honking horns, playing patriotic songs, waving national flag and posters praising the military, particularly Asim Munir. Using information warfare, military convinced the population that Pakistan won the war (https://frontierindia.com/winning-hearts-and-minds-how-pakistan-mastered-the-art-of-information-warfare-during-operation-sindoor/). Trump threw a bone to India in the form of Tahawwur Rana after decades, which he didn’t in first presidency. But do we expect Pakistan to hand over Hafiz Sayeed and Sajid, as JP Singh, our ambassador to Israel demands?

The uproar over Jaishankar warning Pakistan in advance is infructuous because Pakistan was alerted with our delayed response and China was monitoring IAF movements.  Brahma Chellaney draws attention to Jaishankar telling foreign interlocutors Pakistan’s “general has to call our general.” And, Jaishankar himself alludes to the third party by saying US  officials were talking to Pakistan.

Asim Munir, with his present term ending this November, engineered the Pahalgam massacre and was promoted Field Marshal post Op Sindoor. An Indo-American view is that Asim Munir achieved three strategic objectives: destroyed contention of normalcy in J&K; forced loss of IAF jets through a Sino-Pak ambush on May 7; re-hyphenated India-Pakistan and internationalized the Kashmir issue. A writeup in Foreign Affairs says: “India’s retribution has handed the Pakistan army its biggest symbolic victory in recent decades; that won’t discourage Islamabad from reigning in the proxy war against India or risking future flareups” (https://www.foreignaffairs.com/india/next-war-between-india-and-pakistan).

Munir has activated Ahsan Ullah, mastermind of the ISI-sponsored APS Peshawar attack that killed 141, including 132 children in December 2014 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30491435) to bomb a school bus in Balochistan on May 21, 2025 that killed five, including three children. What form Pakistan’s next terror attack would take - CBRN terrorist attack in central/northeast India, using BeiDou-linked satcom that can’t be detected?  Given the CIA-MI6-ISI nexus, can Munir use Al Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent (AQIS) to target India? According to Tara Kartha, AQIS has declared all Muslims are obliged to launch a 'holy war' against the 'Bhagwa' regime in India for targeting mosques and 'settlements' in Pakistan (https://www.ndtv.com/opinion/after-op-sindoor-a-curious-shapeshifting-threat-by-al-qaeda-india-8429362). In July 2024, the UN observed close proximity between the TTP and the AQIS, sharing camps and training, and carrying out attacks under the name of Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, with Taliban another supporting body. But UN reports post the Pahalgam massacre have completely dropped any reference to LeT, JeM and Terrorist Resistance Front (TRF). Kartha points out the reality of an unholy alliance between the ISI and jihadi groups in Afghanistan, and says given AQIS presence in Assam and ISI deep inside Bangladesh, any massive AQIS attack would be denied by Pakistan, goading India to erode its relationship with Dhaka further. 

India’s political hierarchy is going full blast in drawing maximum electoral mileage from Op Sindoor; what with giant placards lining roads showing PM Narendra Modi in fighter-pilot attire and the ‘Tiranga Yatra’, amid lies and cover ups by both India and Pakistan. The surprising part is resuming the colonial practice of Beating the Retreat ceremony at the border posts  (https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10161835813674775&id=674879774&rdid=t67ZTHFTj7QIPdaT#). Politics and nautanki go hand-in-hand, but do we realize that such ceremonies at borders amounts to hyphenating India with Pakistan? Are we back to “business as usual” and is the “pause” only to deny aircraft losses (especially Rafale), with crashed jets in J&K plus one close to Bhatinda when both IAF and PAF stayed within respective borders? Absence of India categorically denying the loss of Rafale speaks for itself. Little wonder, Indonesia is reviewing its USD 8.1 billion deal for importing 42 Rafales.

China has reportedly fast tracked its 5th-generation J-35A stealth Jets to Pakistan with first units scheduled by first quarter of 2026; to reinforce Pakistan’s aerial deterrent and not finding many buyers. Concurrently, India has reportedly rejected Russia’s offer to co-produce the Su-57; possibly under Trump’s tariffs threat, although Trump has announced a 50% tariff for EU and India would unlikely fare better. Russia has cancelled its A-100 AEW&CS project, having lost two A-50 AEW&CS aircraft in Ukraine. Long-range missiles (exceeding 300 km) pose a credible threat to AEW&CS aircraft, even operating at maximum standoff range.  Also, Ukraine has demonstrated effective use of satellites for operating drones deep inside Russia. Russia is perhaps the first one to recognize and act upon the writing on the wall.

The MiG-31BM, Su-35S and Su-57, with long-range radars and networking capability act as airborne surveillance and control platforms. Su-57 can operate in a networked environment with each other, as well as integrate with Su-35S fighters and the S-400. America didn’t export F-35s to Turkey because it can’t integrate with S-400. Increasing cost, complexity, and vulnerability raises serious questions about long-term viability of AEW&CS/AWACS. We are adding more indigenous AD systems (including Project Kusha) and plan to import the S-500, but the indigenous 5th-gen fighter is 8-10 years away. We need to seriously examine this issue, taking into account China’s missile capabilities.

India’s political hierarchy, advised by Dr Know Alls, is loath to outside advice, terming it criticism; not just because of hubris but also inability to look in the mirror and identify traitors in governmental set ups. In a blunt article, Bharat Karnad says  IAF’s requirements would have been better met by private entities like L&T and Tata (https://bharatkarnad.com/2025/05/19/the-dirge-after-the-drones-entitled-cry-babies-and-iaf-with-a-problem/). Recall the IAF Chief publicly deriding Hindustan Aeronautical Limited for not meeting IAF’s orders placed a decade back. But the government has halted the much-hyped reorganization of the DRDO – endemic corruption and money-making taking precedence.

Asim Munir denies any radiation leak, but China’s MIZAZVISION revealed precise BrahMos strikes on PAFs Nur Khan base, with massive craters observed in nearby hills – experiencing significant radiation. America’s nuclear emergency support aircraft B350 AMS reached Pakistan, and the Egyptian Air Force supplied Boron to control radioactive contamination. International experts believe IAF strike on PAFs Musaf base between Kirana Hills near Sargodha led to a radiation leak. The shocking news is these nukes belonged to America, which had set up bases in Pakistan to store them; America wants to continue maintaining its nuclear assets in Pakistan; same as nuclear assets in Turkey against Russia. Readers can draw their own conclusions - IAEA denied any radiation leak under US influence. This further explains Trump’s deep-rooted love for Pakistan.

There is political turmoil in Bangladesh with the US wanting a corridor to assist the Arakan Army in Myanmar, with ISI and CIA/American mercenaries present in Bangladesh. But the bottom-line is whether the elections are held this December, the BNP, being the largest political party (with the Awamil League banned), will come to power. The BNP is demonstratively pro-Pakistan and China, which suits the US as well to keep India in check.

Finally, turbulent times are ahead for India, But India can prevail provided we have to stand up to bullying in actual sense, not just through sloganeering to impress indigenous population.

The author is an Indian Army veteran. Views expressed are personal.