Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, claimed that the country received “divine help” during the clashes with India last May. Speaking at the National Ulema Conference in Islamabad earlier this month, he described feeling the intervention after India’s strikes on terror sites.
The conflict began on May 7 when India launched Operation Sindoor. That retaliation targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 civilian lives. Four days of fierce exchanges followed before both nations agreed to stand down on May 10.
“We felt it (divine help),” Munir stated, as clips from his speech aired on local TV Sunday.
Munir’s address had deep religious references, which involved him likening modern-day Pakistan to the Prophet’s Islamic state from 1,400 years ago. He quoted several Quran verses and highlighted Pakistan’s exalted place among Muslims. With 57 Islamic nations worldwide, he said, God singled out Pakistan as “the protectors of Haramain Sharifain” in a referece to Makkah and Madina.
Choose Between Pakistan And TTP
Shifting to security woes, Munir turned his gaze westward. He pressed Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to choose: stand with Pakistan or back the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Afghan fighters, he claimed, make up the majority of infiltrators. “In the TTP formations coming into Pakistan, 70 per cent are Afghans,” he asserted, demanding accountability for attacks on Pakistani civilians.
The army chief doubled down, insisting the Taliban must pick a side. He also stressed a core Islamic principle: only the state can declare jihad. “No one can issue a fatwa for jihad without the order, permission and will of those vested with authority,” he told the gathering.
Though official transcripts from the December 10 event remain under wraps, Munir’s divine-aid claim amid the India skirmish has ignited buzz, especially as tensions and scrutiny over religion’s sway in Pakistan’s defense story persist.
