Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, in an address, defended the two-nation theory, which became the base for the partition between India and Pakistan. Notably, the theory runs contrary to the common history that India and Pakistan share.
Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, in an address on Wednesday, defended the two-nation theory, saying that India and Pakistan are two different nations. He added that Pakistanis are different from ‘Hindus’ in several aspects, including culture, ambition, ideologies, and more. He also referred to Kashmir as Islamabad’s ‘jugular vein’, underscoring that Pakistan “won’t forget it”. Munir, who was addressing the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad, said, “Pakistan was created to separate Muslims from Hindus, as they differ in every aspect – traditions, thoughts, and ambitions.”
‘Teach Pakistan’s history to your children’: Asim Munir
He urged the gathering, saying, “Teach this to your children so that they don’t forget the history of Pakistan. Our forefathers thought that we are different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different, our customs are different…that was the foundation of the two-nation theory. We are two nations.”
Pakistan Army Chief also stressed that the cultures of India and Pakistan are different, adding, “Our religions are different, our customs are different, our traditions are different, our thoughts are different, and our ambitions are different; that’s where the foundation of the two-nation theory was laid. We are two nations; we are not one nation.”
Munir mentions Indian Army
The Pakistan Army Chief also mentioned the Indian Army in his address, as he responded to the Pakistani apprehensions that Islamabad won’t get investment due to terrorist activities, saying, “The 1.3 million-strong Indian Army, with all its wherewithal, if they cannot intimidate us, do you think these terrorists can subdue the armed forces of Pakistan?”
“Even 10 generations of terrorists cannot damage Balochistan or Pakistan,” he said while addressing the first Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad, attended by Pakistanis living abroad.
Pakistan Army Chief defends two-nation theory
Notably, while the two-nation theory is contrary to secularism, it is also against the common history that India and Pakistan share. Munir emphasised it by saying that India and Pakistan are two different nations, adding, “That is why our forefathers struggled to create this country. Our forefathers and we have sacrificed a lot for the creation of this country.”
Addressing the same gathering, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif acknowledged the contribution of the overseas Pakistanis towards the economic stability of the country and urged them to play their role in effectively exposing the negative and venomous propaganda unleashed against the armed forces by foes of the country sitting abroad.
(With agency inputs)
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