COAS Munir castigates India’s ‘extremist ideology’ for ‘endangering minorities abroad’

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir has slammed India’s “extremist ideology”, saying that they are posing threat to minorities abroad especially in the US, UK and Canada.

“India's cruelty and brutality in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is also a continuation of Hindutva ideology and policy,” the army chief said on Friday while addressing a special ceremony of Margalla Dialogue 2024, organised by Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI).

Gen Munir was apparently referring to India's global "extrajudicial" network of state-sponsored targeted killings. Besides Pakistan, Canada and the US have also accused Indian agents of being linked to one assassination and one attempt in their countries.

Indian government is allegedly involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and prominent campaigner for a sovereign Sikh state — known as Khalistan in northern India.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), in its 2024 annual report, highlighted how throughout 2024, individuals have been killed, beaten, and lynched by vigilante groups, religious leaders have been arbitrarily arrested, and homes and places of worship have been demolished.

“It describes the use of misinformation and disinformation, including hate speech, by government officials to incite violent attacks against religious minorities and their places of worship,” the report stated.

In Jan 2024, former foreign secretary Syrus Qazi said Pakistan had "credible evidence" for Indian agents' link to the killings of two of its citizens on Pakistani soil, exposing the “sophisticated and sinister” Indian campaign of extra-territorial and extra-judicial killings. 

While slamming India’s "extremist ideology", Gen Munir, today, said that the solution of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) according to the resolutions of the United Nations and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people is inevitable. 

'Pakistan's role in peace and stability'

Addressing the ceremony today, COAS Munir said that resilience was an important component of the National Action Plan aimed at "ending terrorism and extremism".

The army chief also touched on "Pakistan's role in peace and stability", highlighting the significant achievements in promoting regional harmony and international peace.

He noted that 235,000 Pakistanis have participated in the United Nations peacekeeping missions. “181 Pakistanis have sacrificed their lives for the sake of world peace in peacekeeping missions.”

Speaking about global challenges, Gen Munir said that the world, in recent years, has been facing many challenges, among which the rapid spread of false and misleading information is a major one.

“In view of many changes in the world, the increasing influence of violent non-state actors and state-sponsored terrorism are also a major global challenge.”

Terming "misleading and incorrect information" a major challenge, he said that without comprehensive laws and regulations it will continue to destabilise "political and social structures".

He added that freedom of speech without restrictions was "leading to the degradation of moral values in all societies".

Furthermore, COAS Munir said the common goals include addressing critical challenges such as climate change, the fight against terrorism and global health delivery.

“Pakistan is playing its important role for peace and stability in the world and the region,” he said, calling terrorism a common challenge for all humanity.

“Our commitment to the fight against terrorism is unwavering,” he said, adding that a comprehensive border management regime has been put in place to secure our western borders.

Referring to the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), the army chief said that "Fitna al-Khawarij" has become the home of all the terrorist organisations and proxies of the world, urging the interim Afghan government not to allow its territory to be used for terrorism.