Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, in a rather contentious comment, has dubbed Kashmir as the “jugular veins” of Islamabad, adding Pakistan “won’t forget it”. The Pakistan Army chief was addressing the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad on Wednesday, where he also commented ‘we are different from Hindus’, in order to defend the two nation theory.

The convention of overseas Pakistan was held when the remittances sent by them hit the record USD 4.1 billion mark in March, relieving pressure on the balance of payment.

On Kashmir

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, has emphatically declared that Kashmir remains Pakistan’s “jugular vein”—a status, he asserted, that will endure, with Islamabad never relinquishing its claim or forgetting the region.

The dispute over Kashmir between India and Pakistan dates back to the 1947 Partition of British India, when the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was given the choice to join either country.

The Maharaja initially sought independence but acceded to India following an invasion by Pakistani tribal forces, sparking the first Indo-Pakistani war.

Since then, Kashmir has remained a flashpoint, with multiple wars, cease-fire agreements, and ongoing violence along the Line of Control.

On Two-Nation Theory

General Munir also staunchly defended the two-nation theory, the ideological foundation for the Partition of 1947, contending that India and Pakistan are fundamentally distinct nations in every respect.

“…Our forefathers thought we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life,” Munir said.

“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.” Munir narrated.

He said that the country’s people must not forget that they belong to a ‘superior ideology and culture’.

Notably, the two nation theory failed in 1971 when Bangladesh got independence from Pakistan.

On Balochistan

On Balochistan, Asim Munir said that Pakistan’s enemies were mistaken that a handful of terrorists could dictate the country’s destiny.

“We will beat the hell out of these terrorists very soon …you think, these 1500 terrorists belonging to BLA, BLF and BRA, etc, can take away Balochistan from us…” Munir asked, according to ANI.

“Do Pakistan’s enemies think that a handful of terrorists can decide the fate of Pakistan?…even ten generations of terrorists cannot harm Balochistan and Pakistan.”

“Even 10 generations of terrorists cannot damage Balochistan or Pakistan,” he said while addressing the first Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad, attended by Pakistanis living abroad.

He added that Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is not only vital to Pakistan’s future but also a symbol of national pride.