70% of Afghanistan’s militant groups are made up of Afghans, he declared during the National Ulema Conference on December 10.
Civil Defense Force Marshal Asim Munir addressing the guard of honor ceremony held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Monday. Photo: ISPR
Defense Force Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said Afghanistan will have to choose between what he described as Fitna al-Khawarij and Pakistan, warning that the majority of militant groups infiltrating across the border are Afghan nationals.
Munir made the remarks while addressing the National Ulema Conference in Islamabad on December 10. Although official details of his speech were limited at the time, excerpts of his speech circulated publicly on Sunday.
He said militant groups were targeting Pakistani citizens, including children, and these activities were being carried out with the support of the Afghan Taliban. He claimed that around 70% of the militant outfits 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, and not with individuals or groups, emphasizing the need for unity and discipline in matters of faith and security.
Referring to the May conflict with India, the army chief said Pakistan 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 “Tayyaba State” and Pakistan, saying both were based on the principles of Kalima Tayyaba during Ramadan.
Munir said nations that abandoned the intellectual and scientific heritage of their ancestors and the pursuit of knowledge eventually faced decline.
The conference was attended by religious scholars representing all major schools of thought in Pakistan.
