70% of the militant formations from Afghanistan are made up of Afghans, he said at the National Ulema Conference on December 10
CDF Field Marshal Asim Munir was addressing the guard of honor ceremony held at the Headquarters (GHQ) on Monday in Rawalpindi. Photo: ISPR
Defense Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has said that Afghanistan will have to choose between what he described as Fitna al-Khawarij and Pakistan, which warns that a majority of militant groups infiltrating across the border include Afghan nationals.
Munir made the remarks while addressing the National Ulema Conference in Islamabad on December 10. While official details about the address were limited at the time, excerpts from his speech circulated publicly on Sunday.
He said that militant groups were targeting Pakistani citizens, including children, and alleged that such activities were carried out with the support of the Afghan Taliban. He claimed that about 70% of the militant formations that infiltrated from Afghanistan were made up of Afghan nationals.
Addressing religious scholars, Munir said that in any Islamic state, the authority to declare jihad rests solely with the state, not with individuals or groups, underscoring the need for unity and discipline in matters of faith and security.
Referring to May’s conflict with India, the army chief said Pakistan had witnessed what he described as divine support during Operation Bunyan al-Marsous, while quoting Quranic verses during his speech.
He also spoke of what he called a conceptual link between the “State of Tayyaba” and Pakistan, saying that both were based on the principles of Kalima Tayyaba during Ramadan.
Munir said that nations that abandoned the intellectual and scientific heritage of their forefathers and the pursuit of knowledge ultimately faced decline.
The conference was attended by religious scholars representing all major schools from across Pakistan.
