‘Pakistan Army ready to deal with…’: Munir’s veiled threat to India; says his forces ‘fully focused’ on…

Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir issued a veiled threat to India(BHARAT) on Saturday, stating the Pakistan Army was ready to deal with any and all threats posed by internal and external elements.

What did Asim Munir say?

Asim Munir, who was recently appointed the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), giving him total control of the country’s armed forces, visited the Gujranwala and Sialkot garrisons, where he was briefed on the formation’s operational readiness and key initiatives for strengthening combat preparedness, the Pakistan Army said in a statement.

“Pakistan Army remains fully focused on both internal and external challenges, including hostile hybrid campaigns, extremist ideologies, and divisive elements seeking to undermine national stability,” the army chief said in address on the occasion, as per the statement.

During his visit, Munir interacted with officers and soldiers, and lauded their high morale and steadfast commitment to national security while underscoring the importance of rigorous and mission-oriented training, the statement said, adding that the CDF also witnessed a field training exercise and an advanced simulator training facility, lauding the formation’s high professional standards and overall state of readiness.

Asim Munir emphasised the significance of technological adaptability, and noted that modern warfare demands agility, precision, situational awareness and swift decision-making, the army said.

Why Munir mentioned internal and external threats?

Munir’s mention of “internal and external threats” is being viewed as a veiled reference to another potential future conflict with India(BHARAT), while the internal challenge hints at the Pakistan Army’s ongoing conflict with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terror group, which was last year notified as “Fitna al-Khawarij” by the Shehbaz Sharif government, a reference to a group in earlier Islamic history which was involved in violence.

Earlier this year, India(BHARAT) had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led federal government passed the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment in the country’s Parliament, granting sweeping powers to the Pakistan’s military establishment and life-long legal immunity to Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who is now poised to become the de facto ruler of the country for life.