• Field Marshal Munir indicates country stands by Iran, but also backs US peace efforts
• Says that in a democracy, people have the right to express their views
WASHINGTON: Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has urged India to engage with Pakistan as a “civilised nation” rather than trying to impose its hegemony on the region.
In an interaction with the Pakistani American community on Monday evening, he also stated that Islamabad “strongly supports Iran” in its war with Israel, while backing US efforts to end the conflict.
The army chief, who is on an official visit to the United States this week, received a warm welcome from a large gathering of Pakistani Americans — some of whom had travelled from as far as California and Texas.
He was garlanded and showered with rose petals upon arrival at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown, Washington. Outside the venue, about half a dozen PTI supporters staged a protest, demanding the release of jailed party founder Imran Khan and other leaders and the restoration of “full democracy” in Pakistan.
Inside, however, the crowd’s enthusiastic chants of “Muhafiz Munir Zindabad!” easily drowned out the protesters. Supporters praised the armed forces’ performance during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos against India, lauding their bravery and professionalism.
The slogans began as soon as the COAS expressed appreciation for the vital role overseas Pakistanis play in strengthening the national economy, particularly through remittances. The migration of skilled Pakistanis abroad, he said, was “not a brain drain, but a brain gain” for the country.
His remarks drew the first of more than a dozen standing ovations he received that evening — each lasting several minutes.
Field Marshal Munir spoke in detail about last month’s clashes with India, stating that New Delhi had launched this “misadventure” in an attempt to impose its own version of a new world order — one that includes violating the sovereignty of other nations under false pretenses.
He firmly rejected the allegation that Pakistan was involved in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, stating that India had used the incident as a pretext to bomb targets inside Pakistan.
“India attempted to establish a ‘new normal’ — a dangerous precedent of crossing international borders at will,” he said. “But we rejected this new normal and demonstrated that Pakistan has the strength to resist India’s hegemonic ambitions.”
“We would rather embrace martyrdom than accept this dishonour,” the army chief declared, urging India to pursue peace through dialogue. “Let us address our differences like civilised nations — on equal footing,” he said.
Explaining how India was sponsoring terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, the COAS said that while Pakistan had been “the biggest sufferer” of terrorism, India was “the biggest beneficiary” — and that was why New Delhi was not interested in eliminating terrorism.
Addressing the issue of extremism, the army chief recalled that there was no such menace in Pakistan during the 1970s. “People of all sects participated in Muharram … I remember seeing Western tourists moving freely in Rawalpindi. We want that Pakistan back,” he declared.
He noted that during the conflict, there was “textbook harmony” and synergy between Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership. He even thanked Indian PM Narendra Modi — tongue-in-cheek — for “uniting the entire nation by invading their motherland”.
The army chief avoided commenting on domestic politics. When a member of the audience attempted to make negative remarks about Imran Khan, he was stopped.
Later, when another participant suggested that critics of the government should have their “software fixed,” Field Marshal Munir responded that in a democracy, people have the right to express their views.
Speaking about the Iran-Israel war, he said: “We have taken a clear and strong position in support of Iran and are playing an active role in efforts to de-escalate the situation.”
He noted that the United States was also “doing its best” to bring the conflict to an end. “We want this war to end immediately,” he said, adding that Pakistan was working with other countries to help defuse tensions.
Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2025
