In a confrontational speech at the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi on Saturday, June 28, 2025, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir once again stepped up his rhetoric against India.
Munir criticized India of launching two “unprovoked attacks” against Pakistan during his speech, saying that these acts demonstrated a “troubling absence of strategic foresight” on the part of New Delhi.
Asserting that Pakistan has already reacted “resolutely” to what he called “unprovoked” Indian military activities, he accused India of inciting regional tensions and promised a “decisive response” to any future Indian attack.
Munir underlined Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace and positioned Pakistan as a “net regional stabiliser,” asserting that Islamabad has shown maturity and moderation in spite of provocations. Additionally, he argued that India was purposefully causing instability in the area, especially because Pakistan asserted that it had made headway in combating terrorism within its borders.
The Kashmir problem took up a large amount of Munir’s remarks. Calling Kashmir Pakistan’s “jugular vein,” he re-examined his prior divisive statements and emphasized Pakistan’s ongoing support for a “just resolution” of the Kashmir problem in accordance with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Munir accused India of “illegal occupation” of the area and encouraged Pakistanis to remember the “sacrifices of our Kashmiri brothers.”
Following the fatal Pahalgam terror assault in April 2025, in which militants sponsored by Pakistan killed over two dozen Indian tourists, Munir made these comments. In retaliation, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and began Operation Sindoor, a massive military campaign that targeted terror launchpads located deep within Pakistan.
Days of cross-border fighting resulted from this escalation, during which Indian forces allegedly seriously damaged Pakistani military facilities.
Munir claimed that Pakistan had behaved responsibly and with restraint in spite of these events, portraying Islamabad’s actions as those of a responsible regional player. In addition to continuing to portray terrorism in Kashmir as a “legitimate struggle,” which has garnered criticism from both India and outside observers, he reaffirmed warnings of a “swift and befitting response” to any future Indian aggression.
Although Indian defense authorities have already declared that the nation’s armed forces are ready for any escalation and are on high alert, the Indian government has not formally responded to Munir’s most recent comments.
Though analysts caution that such statements run the risk of further destabilizing already precarious Indo-Pak relations and raising the possibility of military miscalculation, they do interpret Munir’s repeated threats and hardline rhetoric as possibly intended to garner domestic support amid Pakistan’s ongoing economic and internal security challenges.
