New Delhi: Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir has rejected India’s allegations that Islamabad received military assistance from China during the four-day-long Operation Sindoor, calling the claims “factually incorrect” and “irresponsible”. His sharp rebuttal came just days after Indian Army’s Deputy Chief Lt. Gen. Rahul R. Singh publicly alleged that China used the conflict as a “live lab” to test weapon systems while extending support to its all-weather ally, Pakistan.
Speaking at the National Defence University in Islamabad, Munir asserted that Pakistan’s success in Operation Bunyanum Marsoos was entirely indigenous and not backed by external powers. “Naming other states as participants in a purely bilateral military conflagration is a shoddy attempt at playing camp politics,” he said. He warned that any threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty would be met with “a swift and resolute response without constraints.”
He further added, “Wars are not won by media rhetoric or imported hardware but through professional competence, institutional strength, and national resolve.”
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in retaliation to the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which targeted civilians and army personnel. Over four days of intense military exchanges, Indian forces claimed to have destroyed terrorist launch pads and infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territories. The conflict de-escalated on May 10 after Pakistani military leadership contacted India’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), reportedly requesting a ceasefire.
India maintains that it dealt with more than just Pakistan during the clashes. Addressing a security seminar in Delhi last week, Lt. Gen. Singh claimed that India was effectively facing three adversaries—Pakistan, China, and Turkiye. He alleged that China provided real-time satellite data to Pakistan, while Turkiye supplied advanced military hardware. According to him, the Pakistan Army received live deployment inputs from Chinese systems even during the DGMO-level calls.
Singh emphasized that China’s actions indicate it was not a neutral player in the brief but intense conflict, stating: “While Pakistan was the front face, the support and coordination from China were unmistakable.”
In response to the Indian general’s remarks, China dismissed the allegations as baseless. At a press briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said:
“I’m not familiar with the specifics mentioned, but China and Pakistan are close neighbours and enjoy a traditional friendship. Defence cooperation between the two countries is normal and does not target any third party.”
When asked specifically about the accusation of providing live surveillance to Pakistan, Mao added, “Different people may have different perspectives, but our position is clear—China-Pakistan cooperation does not aim at any third party.”
She also avoided commenting on a question regarding reports from Paris suggesting Chinese diplomatic efforts to discredit French-made Rafale jets post-conflict.
Shifting focus to India-China relations, Mao said the ties are at a “critical moment of improvement and development,” and added, “We are ready to move forward with India on a sound and steady track.”
The exchange of statements underscores deep strategic mistrust in the region, especially as new global alignments emerge. India’s assertion of a multi-front threat reflects growing concern over Beijing’s expanding influence in South Asia and Ankara’s growing military outreach.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has used the occasion to project internal strength and national resolve. Gen. Munir framed the situation as part of India’s “chronic reluctance” to acknowledge Pakistan’s military capabilities. He claimed that Pakistan has built “institutional resilience” through years of strategic foresight, and emphasized that any aggression against Pakistan’s population centers or strategic assets will invite a “deeply hurting and more than reciprocal response.”
While India and Pakistan have not officially resumed talks post-Operation Sindoor, both nations continue to trade sharp accusations and counter-narratives.
With China playing a diplomatic balancing act—downplaying its involvement while asserting regional neutrality—the geopolitical temperature in South Asia remains tense.
As India pushes back against perceived encirclement and Pakistan pushes the narrative of sovereign strength, the region finds itself yet again at the intersection of military posturing and political signalling, where denials and declarations are as potent as missiles and DGMOs.
