Pahalgam terror attack inspired by Asim Munir remarks on 'Kashmir is our jugular vein'? What Pakistan army chief said: On April 16, the Pakistan Army chief Gen Asim Munir said Kashmir is Pakistan's 'jugular vein'. Exactly seven days into his speech, on Tuesday (Apr 22), Pakistan-based terrorists struck Pahalgan in India's Jammu and Kashmir, killing at least 27 innocent civilians, mostly tourists from different states of the nation.

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Asim Munir's speech, laden with invective and innuendo, also re-invoked the Hindu-Muslim binary, reminding his audience about the two-nation theory behind the creation of Pakistan after the Partition of the Indian subcontinent.


His audience was clapping away and cheering his words. Among them, in the front row, was Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Asim Munir appeared in military fatigues to address the mostly civilian audience of the Overseas Pakistanis convention.

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But his real audience, it now appears, was the terrorists, who got more inspiration for cross-border infiltration into India.

What did Pakistan army chief Asim Munir say about Kashmir?

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During his speech, Munir said that Kashmir "was our jugular vein, and it will be our jugular vein."

"We will not forget it, we will not leave our Kashmiri brethren in their heroic struggle," he added for impact.

 

He also exhorted the audience to tell the story of Pakistan to future generations, pointing out that it came into existence because Hindus and Muslims were 'different in every aspect of life'.

Sketches of three terrorists behind Pahalgam terror attack released

"You should definitely tell Pakistan's story to your children. Our forefathers thought that we were different from the Hindus in every aspect of life. Our religions, our customs, traditions, thoughts and ambitions are different. That was the foundation of the two-nation theory that was laid," he said.

Pakistan-based terrorists struck Pahalgam just days after Asim Munir speech

As noted by both common folk and Indian politicians, the terrorists fired at civilians in Pahalgam's Baisaran Valley, exactly seven days into Asim Munir's speech.

Pakistan army chief peddles two-nation theory, asserts India-Pakistan, Hindus-Pakistanis very different

They fired indiscriminately at the tourists gathered at the picnic spot, which is considered the 'mini Switzerland' of India.

At least 27 people, from different states of India, lay dead at the end of the mayhem. At least 17 others were injured. 

Footage shared on social media showed women, men and children shocked, some of them bloodied, and bodies scattered on the grass.

Women were seen crying for help, dazed and confused in the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack since Pathankot in 2019.

In terms of civilian casualties, Pahalgam attack was the worst since the Mumbai attack of 2008 that left nearly 170 people dead.

Will not be spared: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to terrorists

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a state visit to Saudi Arabia when the attack happened.

He cut short his trip and landed in Delhi on Wednesday morning (Apr 23).

Modi has vowed that those behind this heinous act "will be brought to justice and will not be spared".

What is two-nation theory mentioned in Pakistan Gen Asim Munir's Hindu vs Muslim speech, and how successful is it? Origin, aftermath

The Resistance Front or TRF, a lesser-known group under the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation  Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack.

TRF blamed 85,000 "outsiders" who settled in the region, and the 'demographic change' of Kashmir for the attack.

And now, Pakistan is distancing itself from the attack, without even condemning it.

But it is clear that Asim Munir made a mistake.

He has blood in his hands, and will have a lot of questions to answer now.