Pakistan, May 12 -- Amidst the newly instilled sense of pride following the successful completion of Operation Bunyan al Marsoos a surge of public trust in the military swept across the country. It marked the Pakistani military's undisputed superiority, especially with the momentous downing of as many as five warplanes. Alongside calls for a ceasefire, there emerged a palpable sense of reassurance and triumph: a belief that Pakistan had decisively won a war against its long-standing rival neighbour, whose self-initiated and embarrassing attack was cloaked in the rhetoric of self-defence.

Yet, behind the scenes, silent players continue to observe the situation from afar. These are the bigger players-the military-industrial complex-who pro...