Pakistan Seeks Peace with Honour, Says Air Chief on 7th Anniversary of Operation Swift Retort

Islamabad: Pakistan is a responsible country which desires peace with honour,” said Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu while addressing a ceremony at Air Headquarters to mark the 7th anniversary of Operation Swift Retort.
The Chief of the Air Staff stated that seven years ago, the aggressor had challenged Pakistan’s sovereignty and gravely miscalculated the country’s resolve and operational capability. He remarked that despite a cowardly nocturnal attack, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) responded in broad daylight with a measured and well-calibrated action, re-establishing deterrence against a numerically superior adversary.
Highlighting the evolving global and regional security environment, the Air Chief noted that despite fiscal constraints, PAF embarked on a comprehensive modernization and indigenization drive in March 2021 to transform itself into a next-generation air force. He emphasized that the force swiftly recalibrated its operational doctrine in line with the changing character of warfare, inducting advanced combat and support systems alongside niche technologies within a short span of time.
He further underscored that PAF developed a unique indigenous “kill chain” by integrating unmanned systems, electronic warfare, space, and cyber capabilities, thereby consolidating coherent multi-domain operational capacity.
Referring to the events of May 2025 during Marka-e-Haq, the Air Chief stated that when Pakistan’s sovereignty was again challenged, the response was even more decisive and unexpected. He claimed that PAF carried out full-spectrum, multi-domain operations, bringing down several advanced enemy platforms, including Rafale, SU-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, MiG-29 aircraft and unmanned aerial systems, while also targeting key bases and neutralizing sophisticated air defence systems.
Reiterating PAF’s commitment, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu affirmed that the Pakistan Air Force would continue to uphold the trust of the nation and remain a symbol of pride through professional excellence and credible deterrence.
The Pakistan Air Force, along with the nation, commemorated the anniversary of Operation Swift Retort as a landmark demonstration of resolve, professionalism and calibrated response in modern air warfare. The occasion renewed the pledge to safeguard Pakistan’s sovereignty while maintaining a vigilant yet responsible defence posture in pursuit of regional peace and stability.