Will Defend Every Inch Of Motherland: Pak New Army Chief Munir

In a veiled attack on India, Pakistan's newly appointed Army Chief General Asim Munir said that if his country is attacked, Pakistan's armed forces will “not only defend every inch of our motherland but take the fight back to the enemy.”

“We have recently noticed highly irresponsible statements from Indian leadership on Gilgit Baltistan and Jammu and Kashmir,” Munir said.

Let me state unequivocally that Pakistan's armed forces are always ready, not only to defend every inch of our motherland but also to take the fight to the enemy if war is imposed on us, he added. 

Munir made the remarks on Saturday during his first-ever visit to troops on the frontlines of the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rakhchikri Sector.

During his visit to the frontlines, Chief of Army Staff Gen Munir was briefed on the latest situation along the LoC as well as the formation's operational readiness.

General Munir interacted with officers and soldiers, praising their high morale, professional competence and combat readiness while performing their duties in difficult circumstances.

He also discussed recent statements made by Indian officials regarding Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Any misunderstanding that leads to a misadventure will always be met with the full might of our armed forces, supported by a resilient nation, he said.

On 30 November, Pakistan's new military chief took command of the country's armed forces, as a political schism between the government and the opposition leader widened.

The army has historically wielded enormous power in Pakistan, ruling the country for half of its 75-year history. However, it has also been fighting local and foreign militants since 2001, when Pakistan became a US ally in the war on terror. 

The alliance infuriated Pakistani militants, who joined the Afghan Taliban in the years-long conflict, which ended in 2021 with the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan.

Munir, a former spymaster, took over for Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retired after a six-year tenure. During his tenure, Bajwa authorised a series of operations to evict militants from the country's former northwestern tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.