‘We felt it’: Asim Munir says Pakistan received ‘divine help’ during Op Sindoor

Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has claimed that the country received “divine help” during its military confrontation with India in May, following India’s strikes on terror targets under Operation Sindoor.

He also issued a warning to Afghanistan’s Taliban government, urging it to choose between Pakistan and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and alleging that most militants infiltrating across the border are Afghan nationals.

Munir made the remarks earlier this month at the National Ulema Conference in Islamabad, where he also recited verses from the Quran. Referring to the four-day military escalation with India, Munir said Pakistan’s armed forces experienced “divine intervention” during the conflict.

“We felt it,” he said.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. The strikes triggered intense clashes between the two countries before both sides agreed to halt military actions on May 10.

Addressing broader regional and ideological issues, Munir drew parallels between the creation of Pakistan and the Islamic state established by the Prophet over 1,400 years ago in the Arabian Peninsula. He said that among the world’s 57 Islamic countries, Pakistan had been given the “honour of being the protectors of Haramain Sharifain”, referring to Makkah and Madina.

Turning to Afghanistan, Munir accused Afghan nationals of forming the bulk of militants crossing into Pakistan and called on the Taliban regime to take a clear stand. “In the TTP formations coming [into Pakistan], 70 per cent are Afghans,” he said. “Is Afghanistan not spilling the blood of our Pakistani children?”

He reiterated that the Taliban must choose between supporting Pakistan or backing the TTP.

Munir also stressed that in an Islamic state, the authority to declare jihad rests solely with the state. “No one can issue a fatwa for jihad without the order, permission and will of those vested with authority,” he said.