Pakistan Army Chief Emphasised Differences Between Hindus and Muslims

New Delhi: Pakistan’s Army chief, General Asim Munir, replaying the military establishment’s age-old anthem, has asked Pakistanis to tell their children of the “stark differences between Hindus and Muslims” as the basis for the Islamic Republic’s creation.

Munir invoked the Two-Nation Theory that resulted in the creation of Pakistan in 1947. Our forefathers believed that we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different. Our customs are different said General Munir during his speech at the Convention for Overseas Pakistanis on Wednesday.

“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.”

The Two-Nation Theory, which was championed by Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the 1940s, argued that Muslims and Hindus constituted distinct nations. On this basis, Jinnah advocated the necessity of a separate homeland for Muslims. Munir, stressing the difference between the two communities, shows how Pakistan’s Army continues to rely on this narrative to define its national identity, particularly in relation to India.

Munir, who’s also called the ‘Hafiz e Quran’, referred to the founding Islamic principles of Pakistan, saying that the country’s “basis was laid on the Kalima” (Islamic declaration of faith). Munir’s rhetoric on the Hindu-Muslim divide comes days after India slammed Pakistan for once again bringing up the Kashmir issue during a United Nations debate on peacekeeping reforms. Munir, speaking at the convention in Islamabad, also issued warnings to Balochi rebels, and vowed a crackdown.