PAKISTAN’S Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir visited Line of Control (LoC) in the Haji Pir sector to celebrate Eidul-Azha with the troops. He offered prayers with the personnel at the frontline. It was, apparently, a choreographed show of solidarity for the Army rank and file to keep them motivated, possibly to meet any selfperceived military challenges emanating from India.
During his address to the troops, his statement that “Pakistan has always supported peace and stability in the region; however, any provocation or violation of Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty will be met with a swift and resolute response, with the full support of the nation”, is being seen by experts as a signal to the Indian military and political leadership that the Pakistan Army is a force to reckon with. It would seem that Gen Munir chose this timing, particularly in the aftermath of the new Government taking charge in India.
Touching upon Kashmir, Munir mentioned about the indigenous “freedom struggle” of the people in Indian “Illegally” Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), and reiterated Pakistan’s “principled” stance, aligned with the relevant United Nations resolutions. He condemned India’s “oppression and brutalities against the Kashmiris,” saying that post-election, India had been attempting to mask its aggression and victimisation of the Kashmiri people with false propaganda and provocations against Pakistan.
Anti-India hardliner
It would be pertinent to mention here that Gen Munir, was the Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2018-2019, perhaps, the shortest tenure of a DG ISI in the country’s history. It is commonly believed that he was removed by the then-Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa under pressure from Imran Khan when Munir claimed to have exposed the corruption of Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi. He also played a crucial role in handling antiIndia intelligence operations in 2019 and as head of a committee, took a hard line against India.
Coincidentally, soon after the new Government assumed office in India under Prime Minister Modi’s third term, a terror attack (June 9) claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF) took place on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in Reasi district. This resulted in nine deaths and 33 injuries, and was declared by the TRF as merely the “beginning of a renewed start”.
Subsequently, two Pakistani infiltrators launched an attack on villagers in the Saida-Sukhal village of Kathua district on June 11. These incidents throw up strong possibilities of renewed cross-border operations by Pakistan (notably ISI), targeting Jammu region this time; possibly due to extra alertness being observed in Srinagar and other areas.
Perhaps, the new ISI blueprint is to hit out at the Hindus adding a communal colour to Pakistan machinations. Some analysts are confiding that Gen Munir, with his spell of early religious education in a traditional seminary in Rawalpindi, is perhaps intolerant towards other religions and, therefore, pursuing his personal agenda.
The same insiders also give out that General Munir has carefully calculated to step up the ISI led operations targeting India in order to provoke the Indian military and, at the same time, keep his political bosses happy for furtherance of his own career. As it is, he is in the very good books of the political leadership and was also part of the entourage of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s China visit.
It would appear advisable, therefore, for the Indian security and intelligence agencies to step up their vigil against Pakistani ISI and the military which may be working overtime to target Indian security infrastructural interests and sensitive installations as Pakistanis intentions look suspect.
