Where is Pakistan Army chief? Sudden absence of Asim Munir, his family after Pahalgam attack raises suspicion

Pakistan army Lt. Gen. Syed Asim Munir - File Photo

Amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead, social media is rife with posts speculating the whereabouts of Pakistani army chief General Syed Asim Munir.

Multiple social media posts and reports claim that Munir is missing in action. There is no news of his family’s whereabouts as well. Hashtag #MunirOut went viral on X (formerly Twitter), with rumours claiming that Munir and his family have fled the country. Moneycontrol couldn't verify the authenticity of these claims.

The April 22 terror attack has exposed the fragility and duplicity of Pakistan’s denials. While Islamabad has issued statements distancing itself from one the worst strikes against civilians in the recent memory, facts on the ground tell a different story.

If true, what Munir’s disappearance means?

While it is crucial to avoid making hasty conclusions, the timing of General Munir's reported disappearance, coupled with the evidence suggesting Pakistani involvement in the Pahalgam attack, cannot be ignored.

For any army chief—particularly one as powerful as General Asim Munir—to suddenly disappear from the public eye at a moment of international scrutiny is highly unusual. Traditionally, in Pakistan’s hybrid civil-military setup, the army chief is not just a military leader but the de facto arbiter of national security policy, especially in relation to India.

TRF’s contradictory claims: A smokescreen?

While it may or may not have any relation to Munir’s reported disappearance, The Resistance Front (TRF) – a proxy for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, which initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, later backtracked on its claim.

There is a possibility that the TRF's initial claim of responsibility may have been part of a larger plan to deflect attention from Pakistan's involvement. It is also possible that the TRF was pressured to retract its claim of responsibility, either by the Pakistani authorities or by other terror groups. This could indicate a desire to control the narrative and minimize the damage caused by the attack.

Notably, Munir’s provocative remarks on Kashmir, just days ahead of the attack, are being directly linked to the April 22 massacre.

While Pakistan continues to deny any involvement in the Pahalgam attack, the evidence suggests otherwise. The involvement of known Pakistan-based terror groups, the nature of the attack, the geopolitical context, and credible intelligence inputs all point towards Pakistan's complicity.

The reports of General Munir's disappearance, while unconfirmed, add a new dimension to these allegations. His sudden departure, amidst mounting evidence of Pakistan's involvement, raises serious suspicions about his role in the attack and the motives behind his actions.