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A year ago this week, Pakistan and India found themselves on the brink of a broader war. What began as a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir spiraled into a five-day military confrontation, complete with air strikes, downed fighter jets, and relentless diplomatic maneuvering. The Pakistan Army ultimately named the period from April 22 to May 10 "Marka-i-Haq" — a label that has since become shorthand for the brief but perilous conflict.

As the first anniversary of these events passes, Pakistan's leading English-language daily, Dawn, has been publishing a series of retrospective articles, sharing front pages from that week and recounting the sequence of events that brought the two nuclear-armed neighbors to the edge and then back from it. This article synthesizes that coverage to provide a comprehensive look at what happened, how it unfolded, and the perspectives that shaped the narrative.

Coverage Comparison

The anniversary coverage from Dawn, which has been consistent across its May 7-11, 2026 editions, presents a largely uniform account of the conflict's timeline. All five articles reviewed follow the same structure: they begin with the May 7, 2025 air strikes, move to Pakistan's response, and conclude with the May 10 ceasefire. The reporting is retrospective in nature, aimed at commemorating the anniversary rather than breaking new ground.

However, it is worth noting that this is a single-outlet retrospective. While Dawn is widely regarded as one of the most credible and independent news sources in Pakistan, its coverage naturally reflects a Pakistani vantage point. The articles describe India's actions with terms like "dangerous escalation" and "deadly air strikes," while characterizing Pakistan's downing of Indian planes as a "retaliation." This framing, while factually consistent with the sequence, places causal emphasis on India's initial strike. A comprehensive understanding of the events would benefit from Indian and international reporting, which are not included in this analysis.

Key Claims

The following claims are consistently reported across all five Dawn articles reviewed:

  • The Pahalgam attack ignited the crisis: On April 22, 2025, an attack on tourists in Pahalgam, a town in Indian-administered Kashmir, left multiple casualties. Dawn reports that New Delhi, without presenting evidence, linked the attack to Pakistan, setting the stage for military escalation.
  • India launched air strikes on May 7: According to Dawn, on May 7, 2025, India conducted deadly air strikes in Punjab and Azad Kashmir — the latter being the Pakistani-administered portion of Kashmir. The articles describe these as a "dangerous escalation" and a direct trigger for Pakistan's military response.
  • Pakistan downed five Indian planes: In what Dawn describes as retaliation, Pakistan's air force shot down five Indian aircraft in air-to-air combat. The same reports note that Pakistan later raised the tally to seven, though this figure remains unverified by independent sources.
  • A ceasefire was brokered on May 10: After what Dawn characterizes as "tit-for-tat strikes" on each other's airbases, and the launch of Pakistan Army's Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, both sides agreed to a ceasefire on May 10. The ceasefire came after American intervention, according to the reports.
  • The conflict was named "Marka-i-Haq": The Pakistan Army officially designated the period of conflict from April 22 to May 10 as "Marka-i-Haq," a term that has been used in subsequent references to the confrontation.

Perspectives

From the Pakistani perspective, as represented by Dawn, the conflict is framed as a defensive response to Indian aggression. The coverage emphasizes that the Pahalgam attack was linked to Pakistan "without evidence," and that India's air strikes were an unprovoked escalation. Pakistan's downing of five planes is presented as a legitimate military retaliation, and the ceasefire is attributed to American intervention — which, in this reading, may have prevented a larger war.

An Indian perspective, while not available in the reviewed sources, would likely emphasize the Pahalgam attack as an act of terrorism and justify the air strikes as necessary counterterrorism measures. Indian officials might also dispute the number of downed planes and frame their own military actions as proportionate. The lack of Indian sources in this analysis is a noted limitation.

It is also important to place these events in the broader context of India-Pakistan relations. The two countries have a history of conflict over Kashmir, including full-scale wars in 1947, 1965, and 1971, as well as a limited conflict in 1999. The 2025 confrontation, while brief, was significant for involving direct air-to-air combat — something rarely seen between the two nations. The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, averted what could have escalated into a larger, more devastating conflict.

As of this writing, the anniversary coverage has not included any analysis of the aftermath beyond the immediate ceasefire. Future reporting may shed light on the long-term implications of the conflict, including any changes in military posture or diplomatic relations. For now, the retrospective serves as a reminder of how quickly tensions can flare and how fragile peace can be in South Asia.