How Pakistan has mastered the art of projecting defeat as victory First Post 28 Nov 2025
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How Pakistan has mastered the art of projecting defeat as victory First Post 28 Nov 2025
Field Marshal William Slim’s book ‘defeat into victory’, published in 1956, covered the retaking of Burma (now Myanmar) from the Japanese by allied forces during the second world war. The book was praised for its narrative style and detailed account of the offensive, including honestly accepting mistakes.
The only country whose leaders may not have read the book but implemented ‘only’ its title has been Pakistan. It has converted every defeat from India into a victory. Where it has failed, it has played a narrative projecting outside elements responsible for their failures.
Pakistan history books claim the 1947-48 conflict occurred when people rose against the Maharaja’s rule. The intent was to portray Pakistan as an innocent victim of Indian aggression, whereas the reality was that the attack by Pak’s tribal militias and army forced the Maharaja to accede to India, resulting in the Indian army landing in Srinagar. Pak books mention, ‘Hari Singh started a brutal campaign to drive out Muslims from Kashmir. Over 200,000 people in the princely State, supported by the tribesmen of the Northwest Frontier Province, were successful in liberating a large area of Kashmir from the Maharaja’s control. So Hari Singh was forced to turn to India for help and in return acceded to India.’
In 1965, Pakistan’s army chief, General Mohamad Musa Khan, launched Operation Gibraltar, which involved infiltrating special forces to create an uprising within Kashmir, which would coincide with an armed attack. The aim was to capture Kashmir. The operation began in Aug 1965 and within a month it collapsed, as there was no uprising within. India hit back crossing the border in Sept. It went on to capture Haji Pir pass amongst other areas, which were handed back post the Tashkent talks.
On this failed operation, Pakistan’s fifth-grade textbook in Peshawar mentions ‘The Pakistan army conquered several areas of India, and when India was on the verge of being defeated, she ran to the UN to beg for a ceasefire. Magnanimously, Pakistan returned all conquered territories to India.’ It also marks 06 Sept as National Defence Day, as a tribute to the armed forces. Yet, another defeat converted to victory.
This process continued in 1971. It blamed its humiliating loss and largest surrender in history in the Bangladesh war on Hindu teachers in schools and colleges in erstwhile East Pakistan. Its Punjab school textbook mentions that Hindu teachers ‘continued creating a negative impression on Pakistan. No importance was attached to explaining the ideology of Pakistan.’ It added that East Pakistan’s economy was impacted because Hindu teachers sent their income to India.
Though the army attempted to shift responsibility of the surrender on the then commander in East Pakistan, Gen AAK Niazi, by dismissing him from service, without pension, the stigma remained.
To add to misery, the womanizer and alcoholic, Gen Yahya Khan, was the martial law administrator. The uprising in East Pakistan was largely due to his mismanagement and failed policies. Defeat at the hands of India and creation of Bangladesh led to the downfall of military dictatorship and Zulfikar Bhutto took over the reins.
The Pak army accepted ignominy of defeat for just six years and in 1977 Bhutto was himself overthrown by Gen Zia ul Haq and another dictatorship took root in Pakistan.’ Ironically Benazir Bhutto became PM after Zia’s death in 1988. A graffiti on the walls in Karachi mentioned, ‘sorry for the interruption military rule will return shortly.’
In 1999, Musharaff, as the army chief, launched Operation Badr, which was the codename for infiltration and occupation of heights along the LoC in Kargil. Musharaff was certain, like many of predecessors, that he would be the chief to provide Pakistan its first victory over India. This too failed, when India launched Operation Vijay. Such was the embarrassment, that Musharaff was forced to disown remains of his dead soldiers as also deny their involvement.
Nawaz Sharief was compelled to order withdrawal of whatever remained of Pak troops when Bill Clinton threatened him that India was preparing to escalate the conflict. Musharaff knew his plan had collapsed when his forces, occupying the heights, could no longer be replenished. The best example of converting ‘defeat into victory’ came after Operation Vijay, when a few months later, Musharaff overthrew Nawaz Sharief and took over the reins of Pakistan.
During that period military rulers as also dictators were acceptable as long as they were useful to the west. Musharaff was useful as the US launched Operation Enduring Freedom to remove the al Qaeda from Afghanistan and needed Pakistan’s support. It no longer holds true.
To cover its failures against the Afghan army and terrorist groups, it itself created, in recent days, Pakistan began playing a new game. It forced its suppressed media to hide its losses, while claiming over kills of freedom fighters, it terms as India supported.
The Pak army has dominated the nation since its inception. Historically, no Pakistan PM has served a full tenure, despite bowing to the army’s demands, as egos clash with time. Its desire to control witnessed a change in recent years especially during tenures of General Bajwa and following him, Asim Munir.
Bajwa was forced to bow down and release Wing Commander Abhinandan, after his aircraft was hit post India launching Operation Bandar, destroying Pakistan’s terrorist camp in Balakote. Pakistan continues projecting the downing of Abhinandan as victory, despite its own politician, Ayaz Sadiq, mentioning in the senate, ‘I remember Shah Mahmood Qureshi was in the meeting in which Imran Khan had refused to attend and Chief of Army Staff General Bajwa came into the room, his legs were shaking and he was perspiring. Foreign Minister said for god’s sake let Abhinandan go, India’s about to attack Pakistan at 9 pm.’
Asim Munir has gone stages ahead. After having suffered massive losses in Indian strikes in Operation Sindoor which destroyed or rendered unserviceable their air bases, terrorist camps, aircraft, missile defences and forward posts, he still claimed victory. Apart from pushing a fake narrative, he forced the government to appoint him as ‘Failed Marshal.’ It has taken Pakistan months to repair damages to their air bases.
Once appointed failed marshal, Munir began dominating the country in every sphere. There was no major nation, which Munir visited visit, with the PM in tow. Internally, he began plotting on how to gain absolute power, without being termed a dictator. He forced the government to re-organize the structure of the armed forces by making him the head, thereby removing political control. By this appointment, Munir controls all security forces (internal and external) of the country.
He also had a law passed extending his tenure by five years as also providing him immunity from any form of prosecution for life. Such powers are only provided to dictators, prior to being compelled to relinquish power. There was not a single politician who had the gall to question this decision.
Global military strongmen seeking to overthrow governments and become dictators must learn from Pakistan. It is essential they master the Pak army handbook of converting ‘defeat into victory,’ if they wish to succeed.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army