As the nation mourns the tragic death of at least 26 people in an heinous militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday, the recent video of Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir describing Kashmir as Islamabad's "jugular vein" resurfaced on social media.
According to a report by The Economic Times, Indian intelligence officials are examining whether Munir's recent speech acted as an impetus behind the deadly terrorist attack. Citing intelligence officials, reports are suggesting that Munir's perception and his focus on the “differential treatment” of Muslims and Hindus may have worked as a triggering factor.
'Kashmir Jugular Vein Of Pak': General Munir
During an address at the Overseas Pakistani Convention in Islamabad, Munir reignited their age-old claim on Kashmir and claimed that the region is Islamabad's "jugular vein" it will be so and that Pakistan "won't forget it".
"Our stance is absolutely clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle", Munir stated.
Responding to the remark, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Randhir Jaiswal said, "How can anything foreign be in a jugular vein? This is a Union Territory of India. Its only relationship with Pakistan is the vacation of illegally occupied territories by that country."
Munir Backs Two-Nation Theory
Justifying the two-nation theory, Munir emphasized how India and Pakistan are two different nations.
Moreover, he also urged the Pakistani citizens to narrate the same story to their children highlighting the "stark differences between Hindus and Muslims" as the foundation for the Islamic Republic's creation.
"Our forefathers believed that we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different. Our customs are different. Our traditions are different. Our thoughts are different. Our ambitions are different... That was the foundation of the Two-Nation Theory. It was laid on the belief that we are two nations, not one," said General Munir.
"You must tell this to your children so that they never forget the story of Pakistan," Munir said, with Pakistani PM Shahbaz Sharif in attendance. "Our forefathers made immense sacrifices, and we too, have sacrificed a lot for the creation of this country... My dear brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters, please do not forget this story", he further said in his speech that went viral on social media.
Reiterating the two-nation theory, he said, "We are not one nation. That is why our forefathers struggled to create this country. Our forefathers and we have sacrificed a lot for the creation of this country. We know how to defend it. My dear brothers, sisters, daughters and sons, please don't forget this story of Pakistan. Don't forget to narrate this story to your next generation so that their bond with Pakistan never weakens."
Pahalgam Terror Attack
In what is being considered the deadliest attack in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, militants opened gunfire at Pahalgam's Baisaran Valley, a popular tourist spot which is meadow atop a hill often referred to as "mini Switzerland", on Tuesday killing at least 26 people.
The deceased were mostly tourists including one local person while several others were injured. The dead included 25 Indians and one Nepalese national, police said.
The Resistance Front, a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media message.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cut short his Saudi Arabia trip and arrived in India on Wednesday morning, said that those behind "this heinous act will be brought to justice and will not be spared".
