WE are celebrating our victory. And with good reason. Our mature and befitting response to the unprovoked aggression on non-military targets by India has made us proud.

India too is claiming victory with its leaders asserting that Pakistan requested the ceasefire.

Meanwhile, there was a palpable sigh of relief worldwide as both nuclear-armed neighbours home to almost one fifth of the global population stepped back from the brink of war.

So who truly gained from this four-day conflict? Who, if anyone, can claim to have `won`? Undoubtedly, the immediate winner is the Pakistan Air Force with its well-trained pilots manning the Chinese J-10Cs with the Chinese PL-15 missiles. The French Rafales could not withstand the lethal combination of human strategy, courage and skill and above all, technology braced with artificial intelligence.

Equally significant was the unity displayed across Pakistan. Political divisions melted away as the entire nation stood firmly behind the armed forces. This crisis like no other brought us all together. The scenes of jubilation from the streets of Lahore to the Pakistani diaspora abroad reflected a people proud and unyielding.

China, our longstanding ally and `iron brother,` stood by us with quiet but unwavering support. Friendship won the day. Unlike former colonial powers, China`s focus on diplomacy, infrastructure, and mutual respect reasserted the importance of partnerships built not on dominance, but on cooperation.

The conflict has reignited global attention on Kashmir, reopening dialogue on India`s controversial abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A moves that stripped the region of its special status. Questions are again being raised on the resentment within Kashmir, the long-term impact on Kashmiri youth and the legitimacy of India`s unilateral actions.

Elsewhere, US President Donald Trump`s tariff policies momentarily took a backseat as he announced the ceasefire. In our hearts, many silently thanked him for helping to halt the conflict, and for giving both nations a chance to save face. In this respect, the US, too, emerged with diplomatic capital.

Yet the celebration was short-lived, in theshadow of ambiguities and questions. Is this a true ceasefire, or merely a pause? Does it apply only to the international border, or does it extend to the LoC in Kashmir, the unfinished agenda of the Partition of 1947? While the guns may have fallen silent at least for now the war of words rages on. There is no ceasefire or pause between the media of both sides. Pakistan, though demonstrating more restraint, is still embroiled in the war-mongeringfrenzy generated acrosstheborder.

The first casualty in any war is truth. The second, sadly, is decency.

The more the domestic backlash in India, the more their leaders resorted to uncalled for rhetoric and bravado. The propaganda in the mediabecame a test of loyalty fuelling anti-Muslim sentiment, crossing all boundaries of decency.

The credibility of India`s government and media alike has taken a hit, as fabricated stories and triumphalist bravado collided with uncomfortable truths.

India five times Pakistan`s size, with an army twice as large, blinded by the desire to destroy us and the confidence to do so did not anticipate our resolve and our response. That hubris may now be rebounding. Its refusal to engage, trade, or even compete with Pakistan bilaterally or in regional forums with its endeavours to isolate us have had the opposite effect.

But while politicians` posture and weapons are tested, it is ordinary people who pay the price. Families on both sides of the border, and especially in the contested territory of Kashmir, grieve the loss of loved ones. And the loved onesof our brave shaheeds bear their loss with equanimity.

As people mourned, the stock market reacted predictably. Dassault Aviation`s shares wobbled, while Chengdu Aerospace stocks surged by 40 per cent. Discussions in the media now revolve around drone wars, multidomain warfare, and the next generation of radar and missile systems.

As countries like ours eye fifth and even sixthgeneration fighters like the J-35 and J-36, the arms race only accelerates.

Rumours swirl about American C-130s landing in India, about new deployments and secret deals. But daily life continues. In cafés and living rooms, people discuss the latest war vlog as casually as they discuss cricket scores. This is the new normal a perpetual state of brinkmanship as our minds are being nurtured and prepared for another attack from across the border.

The global arms manufacturers are getting readyforthekillingtheywillmake-financially.

The leaders are eyeing their approval ratings.

The big powers are testing their weapons and capabilities for a bigger theatre.

And we, the hapless citizens of South Asia, are being pulled into this vortex.

The preamble to the constitution of Unesco, adopted in London on November 16, 1945, in the aftermath of the Second World War, which signalled the dawn of the nuclear age, states that: `Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.

It is a timeless warning. As the threshold of war is dangerously low, now, more than ever, that call must be heeded. Can our leaders and our media find the courage to begin a different conversation one that builds the defences of peace in the minds of our people? Or will we remain pawns in a larger, darker game feeding their war economies, trading in blood,andforeverteetering on the edge? PS: Revenues from sales of arms and military services by the 100 largest companies in the industry reached $632 billion in 2023, a realterms increase of 4.2pc compared with 2022, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri). • The writer is a retired ambassador of Pakistan.