Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir Blamed for Kashmir Attack

By Kadeem Baloch 

Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir has been under severe criticism from all quarters as many believed his comments on the Hindu-Muslim divide and ‘Two Nations Theory’ caused the fatal attack on the Indian tourists in Jammu & Kashmir. Munir has been likened to Osama Bin Laden and called a dictator for the attack, his repressive actions using violence in Pakistan to strengthen his power. 

Former US Pentagon official Michael Rubin called Munir a terrorist like Osama Bin Laden. “The only difference between Osama Bin Laden and Asim Munir is that Osama Bin Laden lived in a cave and Asim Munir lives in a palace, but beyond that, the two are the same, and their end should also be the same,” he said.  Rubin said Munir’s comment on Kashmir may have provoked the Pahalgam attack, in which Islamist militants killed 26 Hindu tourists.

A few days before the attack, Munir had said that the Muslims of Pakistan fundamentally cannot live in the same country as Hindus. Joshua T White, a South Asia expert at Johns Hopkins University, blamed Munir’s provocative statement on religious hatred. 

“This was not standard rhetoric. While the substance aligns with Pakistan’s ideological narrative, the tone – especially its direct invocation of Hindu-Muslim differences – made it particularly inflammatory,” White said. 

Munir, a man known for not showing restraint, was playing with fire, said Ayesha Siddiqa, a senior fellow at King’s College London. Munir’s action to play the role of a strongman put the Pakistani military in a real conflict against a larger neighbor at a time when Pakistan was under huge economic pressure, she warned. 

“Munir has a reputation for hewing to his religious and ideological beliefs and disliking being challenged. A war that pits him against Narendra Modi will complicate matters even more,” she said.

Rubin demanded strict action against Pakistan as the Kashmir attack targetted peaceful, unarmed civilians. 

“It was shocking, but this just goes to show you that you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig… Targeting a vacation resort, middle-class Hindus, it is evident that the Pakistanis are trying the same tactic now,” Rubin said. “Certainly that speech seemed to green light terror. Asim Munir gave the green light.”

Munir has been criticised even by the people of Pakistan for his aggressive, impulsive behavior and repressive actions against fellow countrymen. “A relentless of fascism, tyranny, under GN Asim Munir’s military regime. Justice has been trampled, the constitution ignored, Imran Khan abducted & dragged from court premises,” said a Pakistani national Sardar Muhammad Muzammil Khan after former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested. Imran Khan himself had blamed Munir for his arrest saying “It’s one man, the Army chief. All this is happening is direct orders from him.”  

Retired Major of Pakistani Army Adil Raja cited his intelligence sources to claim that Munir ordered a terror attack in Kashmir to consolidate his hold on power, risking Pakistan’s regression and regional stability. Raja who is also a Pakistani Representative on The Hague-based International Human Rights Foundation held a poll on ‘X’ which showed 70 percent of 20,000 odd respondents calling a greater threat to Pakistan than India.

US Congressman Ro Khanna has called Munir a “dictator” and said there was “no honest voice” in Pakistan. Even Several Pakistani people are criticising Munir and demanding his resignation. One user on X asked why Munir did not attend the funeral prayers of the squadron leader who was martyred in the Indian attack. 

“For Asim Munir and his followers, nothing is more important than power. These people use patriotic sentiments for their politics, and even corpses,” reads the post.

Public commenter Sami Hamdi said Munir had deployed the army against Pakistan itself. “Asim Munir deploys the army against the Pakistani people to rescue the establishment from the people,” he said. 

Major Raja said Munir must be sacked and tried in military courts for his crimes which would prevent another catastrophe. 

“Munir’s leadership has destabilized not only the military but also Pakistan’s political and economic landscape. His involvement in crackdowns, such as the Islamabad massacre, and his vendetta against political opponents have intensified public resentment,” he said.

The author chooses a pseudonym. Kadeem Baloch is a freelance journalist based in Pakistan. 

Note: The contents of the article are of sole responsibility of the author. Afghan Diaspora Network will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in the articles.