Just months after the devastating Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal General Asim Munir, has once again brought the Kashmir issue to the forefront of regional discourse—this time from the podium of the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi. Munir’s remarks, delivered against the backdrop of heightened cross-border tensions and simmering geopolitical fault lines, have raised serious concerns about Islamabad’s strategic intentions and its impact on the already fragile stability of South Asia.
The April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians—mainly tourists—was swiftly traced by Indian authorities to Pakistan-based militant groups, notably Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), with The Resistance Front (TRF), a suspected LeT affiliate, initially claiming responsibility before retracting its statement.
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The attack marked a significant escalation in violence in Jammu and Kashmir and provoked a robust Indian military and diplomatic response, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, expulsion of Pakistani diplomats, and the launch of Operation Sindoor, which targeted alleged terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Munir’s recent address at the Naval Academy, however, did not signal any desire for de-escalation or denunciation of cross-border terrorism. Instead, he reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to a “resolute response” to Indian actions, framed Pakistan as a “net regional stabiliser,” and emphasized Islamabad’s “restraint and maturity” despite what he described as “grave provocations”.
This rhetoric, while familiar within Pakistan’s political lexicon, gains heightened significance given the timing and context. Munir’s invocation of Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and his call to remember the “sacrifices of our Kashmiri brothers struggling against India’s illegal occupation” are seen as deliberate attempts to reinforce the army’s central role in Pakistan’s national identity and to underline its opposition to the status quo in Jammu and Kashmir.
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The implications of Munir’s statements extend beyond bilateral tensions. In a region already grappling with Afghanistan’s uncertain future, China’s expanding influence in the Indian Ocean, and economic fragility in countries like Sri Lanka and Pakistan itself, Munir’s renewed focus on Kashmir risks reopening old wounds and undermining prospects for regional cooperation. His remarks, particularly when delivered at a formal military ceremony, are interpreted as a strategic message—both domestically and internationally—underscoring the Pakistani military’s entrenched mindset that prioritizes confrontation over reconciliation.
Within Pakistan, Munir’s emphasis on Kashmir serves a dual purpose: galvanizing nationalist sentiment amid ongoing economic crisis, political instability, and public discontent, while also deflecting attention from domestic failures. The military’s continued use of Kashmir as a rallying cry underscores its disproportionate influence over foreign policy and domestic governance, and its determination to remain the central pillar of the Pakistani state.
For India and the wider South Asian region, Munir’s rhetoric is a stark reminder of the volatility that Kashmir continues to inject into regional geopolitics. It raises the specter of renewed proxy conflict, increased border skirmishes, and the potential for asymmetric warfare, where non-state actors operate under the cover of state ambiguity. Such a scenario threatens to make regional peace hostage to plausible deniability and calibrated escalation.
Munir’s latest statements are not merely rhetorical flourish; they represent a calculated and entrenched approach that deepens mistrust and increases the risk of conflict in South Asia. For India, this means remaining on high alert—not just at the borders, but in the realms of diplomacy, narrative control, and internal security, as the region braces for heightened tension and uncertainty in the months ahead.
Agencies
