Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Army Chief General has once again stirred tensions with India by invoking the Two-Nation Theory. Not just that he also declared Kashmir as the “jugular vein” of Pakistan. This comes while he was speaking at the Overseas Pakistanis Conference in Islamabad. The conference was conducted from April 13 to 16.

What did Asim Munir say?

General Munir during his speech at the Convention for Overseas Pakistanis on Wednesday said, “Our forefathers believed that 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 was the foundation of the Two-Nation Theory. It was laid on the belief that we are two nations, not one”

“You must tell this to your children so that they never forget the story of Pakistan,” Munir said, with Pakistani PM Shahbaz Sharif in attendance. “Our forefathers made immense sacrifices, and we too, have sacrificed a lot for the creation of this country…”

“We Are Different from Hindus”: Munir

Munir also stressed over the ideological basis for Pakistan’s formation. He stated that Muslims and Hindus differ in “every possible aspect of life”. He reinforced the narrative that “we are two nations, not one and there is a stark difference between Hindus and Muslims”.”

Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir spews hate against #Hindus and propagates the #TwoNationTheory, which failed in 1971 when Bangladesh got independence from Pakistan. He asserts that children must be taught such “falsehoods” since it’s easier to brainwash youth. Shameful! pic.twitter.com/vaVZhEK4v8

— Taha Siddiqui (@TahaSSiddiqui) April 16, 2025

He added: “My dear brothers and sisters and sons and daughters, please don’t forget the story of Pakistan and don’t forget to narrate the story of Pakistan to your next generation, so that their bond with Pakistan never weakens. Whether it is the third generation, or the fourth generation, or the fifth generation, they know what Pakistan is for them.”

India Responds at United Nations

Munir’s response came shortly after a heated verbal exchange with the Indian envoy at the United Nations. During a United Nations debate on peacekeeping reforms India slammed Pakistan for once again bringing up the Kashmir issue.

India’s envoy Parvathaneni Harish dismissed Pakistan’s claims on Kashmir. Harish asserted that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is, and will always remain an integral part of India,” and demanded that Pakistan vacate the territories it “illegally occupies.”

What did India’s envoy Harish said?

“India is compelled to note that the delegate of Pakistan has yet again resorted to unwarranted remarks on the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Such repeated references neither validate their illegal claims nor justify their state-sponsored cross-border terrorism,” Harish said.

“Pakistan continues to illegally occupy the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which it must vacate. We would advise Pakistan not to try to divert the attention of this forum to drive their parochial and divisive agenda. India will refrain from exercising a more elaborate Right of Reply,” he said.

Baloch Insurgency Under Fire

Munir addressed the ongoing insurgency in Balochistan turning attention inward. He vowed that militant groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), and Baloch Republican Army (BRA) would be crushed.

He said, “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 Balochistan away from us…” Munir asked. “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.”

Military Under Pressure

Well this was not the first time, Munir has frequently invoked Kashmir in his speeches to bolster nationalistic sentiment. This comes after facing domestic criticism, especially after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

In a similar speech at a previous event in Muzaffarabad he claimed Kashmir would eventually become part of Pakistan. He said “even if more wars are needed to be fought, Kashmir would eventually become a part of Pakistan.

High-level national security meeting

Addressing a high-level national security meeting Munir called for transforming Pakistan into a “hard state.” The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other key leaders of Pakistan. Munir further criticized ongoing governance failures and stressed the need for unity among all elements of national power to defeat terrorism and ensure development.