No match for India: How Pakistan’s military delusions were shattered by a reality check

In the volatile landscape of South Asian geopolitics, the balance of military power between India and Pakistan has often drawn attention—whether in the aftermath of skirmishes along the Line of Control or in the face of cross-border terrorism. But a significant shift is now emerging from within Pakistan’s own establishment: a grudging acknowledgment of military inferiority vis-à-vis India, voiced by none other than its former Army Chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa when he retired.

These revelations have surfaced again and cracked open a long-sustained myth perpetuated by Pakistan’s military-intelligence complex, or “deep state”—a myth they not only sold to their population but also began believing themselves. The latest blow to this narrative has come in the form of a sharp and humiliating reality check delivered by the Indian Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor, exposing Pakistan’s vulnerability and India’s overwhelming conventional superiority.

Bajwa’s Confession: The Whisper That Roared

In off-the-record interactions with senior journalists, General Bajwa had reportedly conceded that “Pakistan has fallen far behind India.” Though not a formal address, the admission was startling for its honesty, given how the Pakistan Army traditionally thrives on denial and deflection. For decades, Rawalpindi’s GHQ has peddled the illusion of military parity, emboldening both domestic political posturing and international miscalculation.

This moment of candor by Bajwa punctures that illusion. It also indirectly indicts his successor, General Asim Munir, who has chosen to double down on delusional bravado instead of strategic realism. Munir, the first Army Chief to publicly admit that Pakistan’s regular forces were directly involved in the 1999 Kargil War—long portrayed as the work of “Kashmiri mujahideen”—seems to oscillate between rare truth-telling and blind overconfidence.

His overestimation of Pakistan's military readiness in the wake of Operation Sindoor was quickly disproven on the battlefield.

Operation Sindoor: A Strategic Masterclass by India

Launched on May 7, 2025, Operation Sindoor was India’s calibrated response to a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which bore the clear fingerprints of Pakistani-backed groups. Unlike in the past, when India might have exercised strategic restraint or issued diplomatic protests, this time it was different. India struck hard, deep, and surgically.

Indian drones, fighter jets, precision missiles, and satellite-guided systems coordinated across multiple domains to hit terror infrastructure and dual-use military facilities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. According to intelligence sources and satellite imagery analyses, the Indian Armed Forces successfully neutralized multiple targets—including advanced drone launch pads, logistics bunkers, and at least one suspected Pakistani electronic warfare node.

Crucially, India also deployed its Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), enabling real-time joint operations between the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The Akashteer Air Defense Control and Reporting System was used to perfection—neutralizing over 45 incoming drones and projectiles with a reported 100% success rate.

Pakistan’s retaliatory attempts were clumsy, miscalculated, and intercepted. Their air defenses, many of them reliant on outdated Chinese and American platforms, failed to respond effectively.

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Comparing Military Capabilities

India's superiority over Pakistan is not merely anecdotal—it is rooted in hard numbers and structural advantages:

• Defense Budget: India’s defense budget in 2025 stands at $81 billion. Pakistan’s, by comparison, is around $10 billion. This 8:1 ratio translates directly into better training, equipment, modernization, and force sustainment.

• Manpower: India has over 1.46 million active-duty soldiers with a reserve force exceeding 1.15 million. Pakistan fields 660,000 active personnel with about 500,000 in reserves. The scale difference is vast.

• Air Force: India commands over 2,200 aircraft, including the Rafale, Su-30MKI, and upgraded MiG-29s. Pakistan has around 1,400 aircraft, with a heavy reliance on the JF-17 Thunder (co-produced with China) and aging F-16s.

• Navy: India operates 293 naval assets, including aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines. Pakistan has 121 vessels, most of which are patrol and missile boats, with no aircraft carrier in sight.

• Army: India possesses 4,600 tanks, 9,500 armored fighting vehicles, and advanced artillery systems. Pakistan has 2,800 tanks and limited capability in long-range precision artillery.

Munir’s Delusions Meet Cold Reality

General Asim Munir’s tenure began with aggressive posturing. He spoke of "unparalleled operational readiness" and tried to frame India’s assertiveness as reckless adventurism. However, the results of Operation Sindoor forced a strategic rethink. The Indian strike did not just destroy physical assets—it dismantled psychological defenses.

Pakistan scrambled to issue denials, attempted to fabricate satellite imagery, and launched a propaganda campaign to convince its own population that India’s strike had either failed or targeted civilian areas. But facts intervened. Global intelligence platforms, neutral satellite operators, and even U.S.-based defense analysts confirmed the precision and impact of India’s strike.

This shattered the illusion of invincibility that Munir was desperately trying to cultivate. The Indian response exposed Pakistan’s lack of electronic warfare readiness, antiquated radar systems, and poor coordination between its air and ground commands.

The Deep State’s Deception: When Lies Become Belief

For decades, Pakistan’s deep state—the triad of its Army, ISI, and controlled media—has successfully created a parallel universe for the Pakistani public. In this world, the Army is infallible, India is eternally plotting its destruction, and Kashmir is just one battle away from “liberation.”

This machinery manufactures victories out of defeats. In 1965, Pakistan claimed it “taught India a lesson.” In Kargil, it denied even being involved. After Balakot in 2019, they floated conspiracy theories about crows and monkeys setting off Indian bombs. The truth has never mattered—until now.

But a critical phenomenon is unfolding: the deep state, long the puppet master, now seems to have become a victim of its own disinformation. When you lie to your people for decades, you may start believing those lies. General Munir and his cohort appear to have fallen into this very trap.

Their belief in parity with India—whether in technology, logistics, or morale—was built on a foundation of misinformation and misplaced bravado. When India called their bluff with Operation Sindoor, that edifice crumbled in real time.

India's Strategic Maturity and Technological Leap

India’s response to Pakistan is no longer driven by emotionalism or reaction. It is calibrated, precise, and guided by a larger strategic vision. Under the doctrine of “Proportionate Retaliation with Escalation Control,” India has mastered the art of striking decisively without triggering a full-scale war.

The transformation of India's defense landscape over the past decade has been remarkable. The ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative has fueled indigenous defense production—from artillery systems like Dhanush to missile platforms like Pralay and Pinaka. The Defense Space Agency and cyber warfare commands are operational. India’s tri-services are increasingly networked, AI-assisted, and satellite-coordinated.

Pakistan, meanwhile, remains dependent on Chinese arms that are often sub-standard and politically leveraged. Its economy is in ruins, making large-scale military investment impossible. Even its tactical reliance on terrorism and hybrid warfare has been blunted by India’s integrated counterterror and drone-intercept systems.

Global Perception: Pakistan Isolated, India Respected

The world has taken note. India’s military strikes are no longer met with calls for restraint from the West. Instead, there is tacit or even open support. The U.S., France, and Israel have praised India's use of precision and proportionality. Pakistan, by contrast, finds itself diplomatically isolated.

Even traditional allies like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are tilting towards India—not just economically but in terms of defense cooperation. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has gone quiet on Kashmir. Pakistan’s loudest megaphone now is limited to a few fringe Western academics and online propagandists.

A Dangerous Myth Finally Destroyed

Pakistan’s military leadership, and the ISI in particular, have long deluded their citizens with a fantastical image of invincibility. This image was bolstered by censorship, conspiracy, and state-sanctioned revisionism. But the events of 2025—especially Operation Sindoor—have torn through that veil.

General Bajwa’s quiet admission that Pakistan is “far behind India” now echoes louder in the silence that follows Asim Munir’s discredited bluster. It is time Pakistan’s generals realize that deception can win headlines, but not wars. India’s superiority is not just numerical—it is technological, strategic, and doctrinal.

The Indian Armed Forces have sent a message—not just to Pakistan, but to the world: The time of strategic hesitation is over. If pushed, India will respond—not emotionally, but surgically. And when it does, those who’ve lived in denial will discover that truth hits harder than any bomb.