'No Space For War...' Asim Munir Threatens 'Decisive' Retaliation Against India Over Afghan Instigation

Last Updated:October 18, 2025, 16:22 IST

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff asserted that Pakistan’s battle-hardened military, sharpened by two decades of fighting, would not hesitate to respond to any provocations

Some believe that Field Marshal Munir, rather than focusing on civilian safety, is more invested in protecting the Army’s institutional power. (AFP)

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, has delivered a strong message aimed at India and Afghanistan, warning that any future hostility would be met with a forceful and “decisive" response from Pakistan’s military—one that would go “well beyond the expectations" of its adversaries.

Speaking at a passing-out parade at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul, Munir celebrated what he described as Pakistan’s “clear victory against a numerically superior adversary", referring to India. He accused New Delhi of hegemonic ambitions, strategic blindness, and politicising terrorism through staged evidence and evasion of neutral investigations.

“There is no space for war in a nuclearised environment," Munir said, asserting that Pakistan’s battle-hardened military, sharpened by two decades of fighting, would not hesitate to respond to any provocations.

However, Munir’s speech went beyond conventional rhetoric as he directly accused Afghanistan of being used as a launchpad by India-backed proxies to carry out terror attacks on Pakistani soil.

“We are aware of hostile intelligence designs operating from Afghan territory," Munir said, signalling a shift toward blaming regional instability on external actors rather than internal failures.

However, top intelligence sources, speaking to CNN-News18, expressed skepticism over Munir’s claims, saying blaming India and Afghanistan serves as a convenient distraction from Pakistan’s own security lapses, especially in the wake of economic turmoil, insurgency in Balochistan, and its waning influence in Afghanistan post-US withdrawal.

“If Pakistan genuinely seeks regional stability, why is it escalating rhetoric against neighbours instead of addressing failures at home?" a source asked.

Munir’s assertion of a recent “victory" over India drew mixed reactions. While the Army chief claimed this had earned Pakistan “respect from the international community", sources pointed out that no independent verification has been offered and that the Pakistani establishment has often exaggerated military gains for internal legitimacy.

Some also noted the irony in Munir’s celebration of a victory while simultaneously issuing threats of escalation, including a not-so-veiled warning about Pakistan’s missile capabilities and nuclear deterrent.

“When a nuclear-armed general uses such language, the international community must ask: Who is he really protecting? This rhetoric threatens regional peace," the source added.

The sources also raised concerns over the increasingly hawkish tone of Pakistan’s military leadership. Some believe that Field Marshal Munir, rather than focusing on civilian safety, is more invested in protecting the Army’s institutional power, particularly as criticism grows over Pakistan’s handling of militancy and economic decay.

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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