Asim Munir’s dangerous gamble |
Munir’s dangerous game is not just about India or Afghanistan. It is about Pakistan’s future — and whether the country continues to be held hostage by a military narrative that prioritizes confrontation over progress, and ideology over humanity Writes Dr. Syed Eesar Mehdi
When Asim Munir walked onto the stage for his first address as Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces, the hall crackled with expectation. Uniformed men sat in careful rows, their decorations catching the light, and television cameras waited for that perfect moment. This was supposed to be a ceremonial speech, a reassurance of continuity. Instead, Munir delivered something closer to a warning — a sharpened message aimed squarely at India and Afghanistan, spoken by a man who knows he commands more power than any civilian authority in his country.
Munir did not speak like a general easing into a new office. He spoke like a man stepping into a role he believes destiny has crafted for him. His voice carried not the calm of diplomacy but the steel of confrontation. He warned India against “self-deception,” and promised that Pakistan’s response to any provocation would be immediate and harsher than before.
The symbolism was unmistakable: Pakistan was, once again, declaring itself on a war footing in rhetoric — even if not yet in action. For many listening, especially in India, this was neither surprising nor new. Pakistan’s military chiefs have long used fiery speeches to project strength at moments when the country itself feels weakest. Yet with Munir, something feels different. His tone is more personal, his posture more ideological, and his timing more deliberate. Critics inside Pakistan say he is not merely following the old script — he is rewriting it to suit a more aggressive brand of militarized nationalism. The memory of his earlier “jugular vein” remarks on Kashmir still lingers.
And each time the general repeats this phrase, it lands not as policy but as provocation, a reminder that Pakistan’s military remains locked in a worldview where conflict with India is not a possibility but an inevitability waiting to be reignited. In moments like this, many South Asians recall the words of historian Zahid Hussain: “Every time Pakistan’s generals choose confrontation over introspection, the state pays a heavier price than the battlefield ever reveals.” Munir appears poised to repeat that familiar cycle.
A pattern of........