- Army chief thanks Allah for Pakistan’s victory in May conflict.
- Field Marshal Munir reaffirms commitment to peace.
- “Pakistan soldiers fight in the name of Allah”: COAS Munir
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Sunday pledged a swift and strong response to any act of aggression against Pakistan.
He, while speaking to Daily Jang at a luncheon hosted for Jordan’s King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein at the President’s House, raised his finger towards the sky, saying: “I did not lead Pakistan to victory, Allah did.”
“It is Allah’s special blessing that Pakistan’s enemy bit the dust in May. Pakistan’s Army is Allah’s Army, its soldiers fight in the name of Allah,” he added.
The May confrontation between the two neighbouring countries saw Pakistan downing seven Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale aircraft, after India’s unprovoked missile strikes on the night of May 5 and 6, which resulted in the martyrdom of several civilians and security personnel.
India’s strikes came after a terrorist attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam area, which resulted in the killing of 28 men.
New Delhi, without providing any concrete evidence, said the attack was backed by Pakistan, which denies its involvement.
Pakistan then targeted over 20 Indian military sites across multiple regions in a large-scale retaliatory strike, named “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos”.
The war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
Shortly after the war, the federal government formally promoted COAS Munir to field marshal for his leadership during the conflict.
Meanwhile, the army chief reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to peace. He, however, said that the country would respond firmly to any aggression, similar to its response during the May conflict with India.
Field Marshal Munir, recalling verses from the Quran, said that Allah Almighty has promised believers that with faith they can defeat any enemy, regardless of its strength, adding that Pakistan demonstrated this in May.
As the participants of the meeting began congratulating the field marshal, he asked them to pray for Pakistan’s progress.
The army chief then reiterated his unwavering commitment to fulfil his duties “as commanded by Allah”.
Field Marshal Munir’s remarks came just days after the federal government confirmed that his tenure will restart following his new appointment as Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
Speaking during a National Assembly session on November 13, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said that the CDF’s term would be five years from the date of his appointment.
The bill, passed by both the Senate and NA, to amend the Army Act mentioned that the COAS, concurrently the CDF under Article 243 of the Constitution, “the tenure under this section shall commence from the date of notification of the said office”.
