‘India has no option…’: Why Asim Munir, Shehbaz Sharif are sharpening PoK rhetoric

Pakistan leaders sharpen rhetoric over PoK

Amid heightened tensions in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), Pakistan’s political and military leadership has stepped up sharp rhetoric on the disputed region, raising concerns about renewed friction with India, according to intelligence sources.

Both Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have recently made high-profile visits to PoK, where they delivered forceful speeches that officials say have contributed to political and military unease along the Line of Control (LoC).

According to sources, during a visit to the LoC, Field Marshal Asim Munir was reported to be openly promoting jihad and declaring that “Kashmir will be liberated soon”. He praised the “combat readiness” and “professional excellence” of officers and soldiers deployed in the region, while reiterating Pakistan’s political, moral and diplomatic backing for what he described as the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.

Top intelligence sources told News18 that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed the military’s hardline position during a separate address in the region, asserting that India has “no option” but to grant self-determination. He claimed that lasting peace in South Asia was impossible until India abandoned what he called “aggressive, expansionist designs and nefarious conspiracies”.

According to the sources, such rhetoric is having an increasingly negative impact on the ground, contributing to heightened tension, infiltration attempts and violence in areas close to the LoC. They said the consequences are being felt most acutely by civilians living near the conflict zone.

Local perspectives within PoK, however, point to growing frustration and anxiety among residents. Sources said many locals view the aggressive statements as “political messaging” rather than a reflection of genuine concern for the population.

Sections of civil society, including traders and youth groups, have expressed concern that the rhetoric has resulted in “economic disruption” and loss of lives, the sources added.

Residents fear that repeated calls for liberation prioritise political signalling over public safety and livelihoods. According to the sources, there is a widespread perception that the escalating rhetoric has damaged tourism, disrupted education and reduced employment opportunities, leaving border communities to bear the cost of rising tensions.