Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir is under the spotlight following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which four terrorists killed 26 tourists after asking about their religion. Since then, reports suggest that he has gone underground. India believes he was among those who masterminded the attack on Indian tourists. Relations between New Delhi and Islamabad have remained fragile since April 22. Tensions have escalated along the Indo-Pak border, with Pakistan reportedly preparing for war, fearing an imminent retaliatory strike from India. And for all this onus lies on Asim Munir.
Who Is Asim Munir
Asim Munir is in his late 50s. He is the son of a school principal and religious scholar. He joined the army through the Officers Training School in Mangla in 1986, earning the prestigious Sword of Honour given to the best-performing cadet. He then joined the 23rd Frontier Force Regiment as a commissioned officer. Born to a father who worked as both a school teacher and an imam, the army chief grew up in a deeply religious environment. He is often chanting Islamic verses during his speeches.
Asim Munir On Kashmir
Pakistan’s army chief, who is a Hafiz-e-Quran (a person who has memorised the entire Quran), has repeatedly given speeches that promote Islamic ideologies. In the past, his speeches about Kashmir have also been provocative and inflammatory.
His Controversial Speech On Two Nation Theory
Addressing a public 2 weeks back, he said: “You have to narrate Pakistan’s story to your children so that they don’t forget it when our forefathers thought we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different, our customs are different, our traditions are different, our thoughts are different, our ambitions are different; that’s where the foundation of the two-nation theory was laid. We are two nations, we are not one nation.”
Positions He Held
General Asim Munir briefly served as the head of Pakistan’s powerful intelligence agency, the ISI, in 2018. However, then-Prime Minister Imran Khan cut his tenure short after just eight months by replacing him with Lt. Gen. Faiz Hamid. After lawmakers ousted Imran Khan from office through a no-confidence vote, authorities brought Munir back to prominence and appointed him as the Chief of Army Staff.
Munir’s military career began in 1986 during General Zia-ul-Haq’s rule. He graduated from the Officers Training School (OTS) in Mangla, earned the prestigious Sword of Honour for being the best-performing cadet, and joined the 23rd Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment as a commissioned officer.
