- Field Marshal Asim Munir says 70pc of Fitna al-Khawarij infiltrators identified as Afghans
- Questions Kabul over use of Afghan soil for attacks on Pakistan, recalls warning to Afghan Taliban to choose between TTP and Pakistan
- Says ‘divine help’ aided Pak forces in Bunyanum Marsoos operation
- Stresses only the state can declare or sanction jihad
RAWALPINDI: Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir has said that a significant majority of banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) formations infiltrating into Pakistan consist of Afghan nationals, revealing that around 70 percent of what he termed Fitna al-Khawarij elements entering the country are Afghans, underscoring serious concerns over cross-border militancy and regional security.
The defence forces chief made these remarks while addressing the National Ulema Conference held in Islamabad on December 10. While official details of his address remained limited, excerpts and video clips of the Field Marshal’s speech were aired by television channels on Sunday, drawing wide attention to his candid observations.
Referring to the persistent security challenge, Field Marshal Asim Munir questioned the continued use of Afghan soil by militant groups targeting Pakistan. “Is Afghanistan not spilling the blood of our Pakistani children?” he asked, recalling that Islamabad had repeatedly conveyed to the Afghan Taliban leadership the need to choose decisively between Pakistan and the TTP. Pakistan has consistently urged Kabul to prevent militants from using its territory for attacks across the border, an allegation Afghan authorities have denied.
*چیف آف آرمی سٹاف و چیف آف ڈیفنس فورسز فیلڈمارشل سید عاصم منیرکا قومی علماء مشائخ کانفرنس سے اہم خطاب*
کانفرنس کا انعقاد 10 دسمبر 2025 کو اسلام آباد میں ہوا، جس میں ملک بھر سے تمام مکاتب فکر کے علماء اور مشائخ نے بھرپور شرکت کی
فیلڈ مارشل نے ملک کو درپیش چیلنجز، دہشتگردی، قومی… pic.twitter.com/pORQSDxoBh
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) December 21, 2025
Turning to regional security dynamics, the Field Marshal spoke about the four-day military confrontation with India in May, stating that Pakistan’s retaliatory operation, Bunyanum Marsoos, was marked by what he described as “divine help.” “We felt it,” he said, reflecting on the morale and resolve of the armed forces during the conflict.
India had launched a series of strikes in the early hours of May 7, triggering the most serious escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in decades. The confrontation saw the use of fighter jets, missiles, artillery, and drones by both sides, resulting in dozens of casualties before a ceasefire was agreed after four days. The escalation followed the April 22 attack on tourists in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed. India blamed Pakistan for the incident without presenting evidence, a charge Islamabad strongly rejected, calling New Delhi’s narrative “replete with fabrications.”
Field Marshal Asim Munir also spoke on ideological and religious themes, noting that among the world’s 57 Islamic countries, Pakistan had been granted the honour of being the protector of the Haramain Sharifain—Makkah and Madina. He drew historical parallels between Pakistan and the Islamic state established in Arabia 1,400 years ago, saying both were founded for the same purpose, in the same holy month of Ramazan, and involved the element of migration.
Emphasizing the primacy of the state in matters of faith and conflict, he stressed that in an Islamic state, only the state had the authority to declare jihad. “No one can issue a fatwa for jihad without the order, permission and will of those vested with authority,” he said, citing multiple verses from the Holy Quran to reinforce his message.
