Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir supports terror groups operating in J-K

Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has publicly backed the terror groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir, accusing India of labelling a “legitimate struggle” as “terrorism”. He also said that Pakistan would continue to provide political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir.

Addressing the gathering at the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi on Saturday ( June 30), Munir also accused India of twice resorting to “unprovoked aggression” against Pakistan, adding that by repelling India’s aggression in a restrained manner, Pakistan has proved itself to be the “net region stabiliser”, reported the Dawn.

Kashmir issue

He further stated that those trying to “subdue” the will of the people of Kashmir seeking “conflict elimination” have made the issue more pronounced through their actions.

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“Pakistan is a strong advocate for a just resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with United Nations resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” said Munir as quoted by the Dawn.

Earlier, Munir had said at an Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad on April 16, days ahead of the Pahalgam terror attack, that Kashmir was the “jugular vein” of Pakistan and said Islamabad will continue backing the struggle against “Indian occupation”. India is yet to react to his comments.

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Response to aggression

Munir also said that in case of any future act of aggression against Pakistan, the onus would “squarely lie with the aggressor”.

“However, the assumption that Pakistan would have any constraints in the face of any future violation of its sovereignty reflects a dangerous misreading of strategic fundamentals…any enemy acting on perceived vulnerability of Pakistan under the illusion of strategic impunity or miscalculation would get an assured, swift and a very befitting response,” Munir was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.

Munir was referring to the India-Pakistan clashes in May and the cross-border air strike carried out by the Indian Air Force following the suicide terror attack in Pulwama in 2019 that killed 40 Indian soldiers, following which there were brief aerial battles and border skirmishes.