Islamabad, July 1: Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir claimed that India had attacked the country twice without any provocation, calling it a “troubling absence of strategic foresight.” Blaming India for escalating regional tensions, Munir vowed a decisive response to any future Indian aggression.Speaking at the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi on Saturday, Munir called Pakistan a “net regional stabiliser,” claiming that Islamabad had responded “resolutely” to “unprovoked” Indian military aggression.
Despite provocations, Pakistan displayed restraint and maturity, reaffirming its commitment to regional peace,” he said.
Munir accused India of deliberately creating tension in the region just as Pakistan was nearing the elimination of terrorism.
Munir raked up the Kashmir issue in his latest address on Saturday, claiming that “at such a time, we must remember the sacrifices of our Kashmiri brothers who are struggling against India’s illegal occupation.”
“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,” he added.
Days before the Pakistan-backed Pahalgam terror attacks, Munir had reignited the region’s most dangerous rivalry by claiming Kashmir to be Islamabad’s “jugular vein.”
“Kashmir is our jugular vein; it will remain our jugular vein; we will not forget it,” Munir had said, addressing the Pakistani diaspora abroad.
Barely a week after Munir’s “jugular vein” remarks, Pakistan-backed terrorists slaughtered more than two dozen male tourists in Kashmir’s picturesque Pahalgam. In response, India put the Indus Waters Treaty on hold – a decisive blow to its neighbour. This was followed by the launch of Operation Sindoor, which targeted and demolished terror launchpads deep inside Pakistan.