India showed significant restraint during Operation Sindoor last year, targeting high-value terror infrastructures and terrorists in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) and Pakistan. Despite knowing about military assets hidden in civilian areas, Indian forces avoided attacking those locations to prevent civilian casualties, emphasizing adherence to the laws of armed conflict. In contrast, the Pakistani military has been criticized for positioning lethal weapon systems within civilian-populated areas deliberately, as reported by ‘Eurasia Review’.
“This is not an act of desperation or logistical necessity. Evidence gathered over decades along the Line of Control (LoC) indicates a calculated strategy to exploit the adversary’s moral restraint while shaping a propaganda narrative,” the report stated. Mortars, artillery guns, rocket systems, air defense units, and drone infrastructure have been consistently placed inside or near civilian areas, such as villages, towns, schools, and civil airports, aiming to deter strikes or provoke international condemnation for civilian casualties.
The report highlighted Pakistan’s response to Operation Sindoor with Operation Bunyan um Marsoos in May 2025, converting multiple civilian localities in Pakistan and PoK into active military sites within a short period. Notably, drones were launched from sites close to civilian zones, including one near a girls’ high school in the Kotli district of PoK. Such actions by Pakistani forces, using educational institutions for military purposes, were termed a “moral failure of the highest order” rather than a mere tactical choice.
Residents of Pakistan and PoK were urged to recognize the risks they face in such situations. According to international humanitarian law, any site actively used for military purposes becomes a legitimate military target, including village homes, schools, or airports. By embedding weapons among civilians, the Pakistan Army is not safeguarding them but putting them at risk of retaliatory actions.
