ISLAMABAD:
Field Marshal Asim Munir has said that India is persisting in its efforts to destabilise the region, warning that any act of aggression will be met with a “forceful response.”
“India is still bent on creating instability in the region, and Pakistan has made it clear that any Indian aggression will be met with a befitting response,” said Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, while addressing the Pakistani community during his visit to the US on Sunday.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir is on an official visit to the United States, where he has held high-level meetings with senior political and military leaders and engaged with members of the Pakistani diaspora.
Read More: Field Marshal Asim Munir meets US defence officials
According to a press release by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the COAS attended the retirement ceremony of outgoing US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Michael E Kurilla and the change of command ceremony for Admiral Brad Cooper in Tampa.
While addressing Pakistanis, army chief said India seeks to project itself as a “Vishwaguru” (world leader) but in reality “there is nothing of the sort”. He cited transnational terrorism by India’s intelligence agency RAW as a matter of grave international concern, pointing to the killing of a Sikh leader in Canada, issue of eight Indian naval officers in Qatar, and the arrest of Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan as examples.
“Pakistan has fought a successful diplomatic battle against India’s discriminatory and hypocritical policies,” Field Marshal Munir said. “The recent Indian aggression, carried out under shameful pretences, was a grave violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and resulted in the martyrdom of innocent civilians.”
He said the incident had brought the region to “the brink of a dangerously escalating war, where any miscalculation could lead to a major conflict”. He expressed Pakistan’s gratitude to US President Donald Trump for what he described as “strategic leadership” that helped prevent not only an India-Pakistan war but also “many conflicts around the world”.
The army chief said Pakistan had given a “resolute and robust” response to India’s provocation and succeeded in preventing a wider confrontation.
COAS Munir reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir was “not India’s internal matter” but an “unfinished international agenda”. Quoting Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, he said Kashmir is Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and emphasised that UN Security Council resolutions on the territory remain valid.
On regional security, the army chief warned that multiple terrorist groups, including the fitna-al-khawarij, were operating from Afghanistan against Pakistan. “Pakistan is the last stronghold in the fight against terrorism,” he said. “There will be no sympathy for terrorists, and they will face justice with full force.”
Overseas Pakistanis not brain drain but brain gain
COAS Munir praised overseas Pakistanis as “a source of dignity and honour” during an address to the Pakistani community in the United States, describing them as “brain gain” rather than “brain drain.”
“It is an honour for me to address Pakistanis living in the US. Overseas Pakistanis are a source of dignity and honour, and they are as passionate as those living in the homeland,” said Munir. “Overseas Pakistanis are not a brain drain but a brain gain.”
The army chief said that his second visit to the United States within six weeks was “a sign of a new dimension” in Pakistan–US relations. “These visits aim to put relations on a constructive, sustainable and positive path,” he noted, adding that the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza was “a grave humanitarian tragedy” with serious implications at both regional and global levels.
He stressed that Pakistan’s development and prosperity were tied to its diaspora. “Overseas Pakistanis’ devotion and attachment to the homeland is an undeniable reality. In times of disaster, they are the first to respond to appeals for aid,” he said.
Anti-state elements using social media for chaos
Addressing the role of digital platforms, Field Marshal Munir said: “Social media has become a powerful medium, but anti-state elements also use it to create manufactured chaos.” Quoting the Holy Qur’an, he added: “O you who believe, if a wicked person comes to you with news, ascertain the truth, lest you harm people unwittingly and afterwards become full of regret for what you have done.”
He emphasised the importance of understanding the younger generation. “The thinking, relationships and priorities of the new generation are different, and understanding them is the need of the hour,” he said, noting that a potential trade agreement with the United States could bring “substantial investment.”
On diplomatic front, Pakistan achieved “notable successes”
On the diplomatic front, COAS Munir said Pakistan had achieved “notable successes,” with memoranda of understanding under implementation with the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China to enhance economic cooperation and investment.
He said Pakistan’s youth — 64 per cent of its population — were brimming with potential. He also hailed recent diplomatic and security gains against India as “the result of Allah Almighty’s blessing, the collective effort of the nation, the foresight and resolve of political leadership, and the professional skill of our brave armed forces.”
“The question before us is no longer whether we will rise,” he said. “The question is how soon and with how much strength we will rise. Let us, with a new spirit and purpose, move forward while preserving the legacy of our forefathers.”
