As India rained missiles, Asim Munir says Pakistan relied on ‘divine help’ to weather the setback

File photo of Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir

Pakistan’s military leadership has once again turned to religious rhetoric to explain away a bruising confrontation with India. Months after Indian missiles struck terror infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor, defence chief Marshal Asim Munir has claimed that Pakistan received “divine intervention” during the conflict.

The remark, made at a religious conference in Islamabad, comes at a time when Pakistan continues to deflect responsibility for terror groups operating from its soil while struggling to respond credibly to India’s military actions. By framing a modern battlefield exchange in spiritual terms and simultaneously warning Afghanistan’s Taliban over cross-border terrorism, Munir’s comments reflect an effort to mask strategic and operational setbacks with faith-based narratives, even as Pakistan faces growing questions over its security doctrine and regional conduct.

Speaking at the National Ulema Conference in Islamabad earlier this month, Munir said Pakistan’s armed forces experienced what he described as divine help during the four-day conflict triggered by India’s retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack.

“We felt it,” Munir said, referring to what he called “divine intervention” as Indian missiles targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 after 26 civilians were killed in the Pahalgam attack. The strikes marked one of New Delhi’s most direct military actions against terror hubs across the border in recent years. The confrontation escalated into intense exchanges for four days before both sides reached an understanding to halt military actions on May 10.

Munir’s remarks came months after Pakistan struggled to counter India’s precision strikes and faced international scrutiny over terror groups operating from its soil. Instead of addressing operational or strategic shortcomings, the Pakistani Army chief chose to invoke religious imagery to explain the outcome.

During the same address, Munir drew parallels between Pakistan and the early Islamic state established by the Prophet over 1,400 years ago in the Arab region, now Saudi Arabia. He said there are 57 Islamic countries globally and claimed Pakistan had been given a special religious status.

“God gave us the honour of being the protectors of Haramain Sharifain,” Munir said, referring to Makkah and Madina.

Munir also used the platform to issue a sharp warning to Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, accusing it of enabling cross-border terrorism targeting Pakistan. He said Afghan nationals form the bulk of terrorists infiltrating Pakistan under the banner of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.

“In the TTP formations coming into Pakistan, 70 per cent are Afghans,” Munir said. “Is Afghanistan not spilling the blood of our Pakistani children?”

He demanded that the Taliban choose between supporting Pakistan and backing the TTP, repeating Islamabad’s long-standing accusation that Kabul has failed to rein in anti-Pakistan terror groups.

At the same time, Munir attempted to reassert the military’s control over religious narratives, stating that armed jihad could only be sanctioned by the state.

“No one can issue a fatwa for jihad without the order and permission and will of those vested with the authority,” he said.