In a controversial speech at the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir accused India of launching attacks on Pakistan “without provocation” and pledged a decisive response to any future aggression. Calling India’s actions a “troubling absence of strategic foresight,” Munir emphasised Pakistan’s restraint and its role as a “net regional stabiliser.”

Munir went further by invoking the Kashmir issue, portraying the armed insurgency as a “legitimate struggle” and referring to Kashmiris as “brothers struggling against India’s illegal occupation.”
“We must remember the sacrifices of our Kashmiri brothers,” he said. “Pakistan strongly supports a fair resolution of the Kashmir dispute in line with United Nations resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.”

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'Jugular Vein' Rhetoric Returns

Days earlier, Munir reignited old tensions by calling Kashmir Pakistan’s “jugular vein,” a statement that has historically been associated with Pakistan’s aggressive stance on the disputed region.
“Kashmir is our jugular vein; it will remain our jugular vein; we will not forget it,” he had told the Pakistani diaspora.

Munir’s statements came just days before Pakistan-backed terrorists carried out a brutal attack in Pahalgam, killing more than two dozen tourists. The assault, seen as a direct consequence of Pakistan’s support for cross-border terrorism, drew strong condemnation from India and intensified bilateral tensions.

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In response to the Pahalgam massacre, India took decisive action by putting the Indus Waters Treaty on hold, an unprecedented diplomatic move, and launching Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan. The military operation reportedly struck multiple launchpads used by terrorist groups operating across the Line of Control.

Munir’s inflammatory remarks and Pakistan’s continued endorsement of what India calls “state-sponsored terrorism” have raised alarms in diplomatic circles. India has maintained that Kashmir is an integral part of the country and that meaningful dialogue can only happen if Pakistan ends its support for terrorism.