Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir has said that he witnessed and felt Allah’s help during Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos against India.
Addressing the National Ulema and Mashaikh Conference, Field Marshal Munir said that Allah had granted Pakistan the honour of being the protector of the holy sites.
He stressed that no individual or group, other than the state, has the authority to declare jihad or issue related religious decrees.
He said there was a deep connection and similarity between the State of Madinah and the State of Pakistan. “Both states were established on the foundation of the Kalima and both came into being during the holy month of Ramadan,” he said.
Field Marshal Munir said Pakistan and the State of Madinah share similarities because Allah chose one to serve the holy sites and the other to protect them. “During the operation against India, I clearly felt Allah’s help,” he added.
Speaking on security issues, he said terrorists, allegedly backed by Afghan Taliban elements, were targeting civilians and children in Pakistan.
He said around 70 per cent of the groups linked to Fitna al-Khawarij operating from Afghanistan consisted of Afghan nationals. He urged Afghanistan to choose between supporting such groups or maintaining relations with Pakistan.
He also warned that nations which abandon the intellectual and scholarly legacy of their ancestors fall into decline and backwardness. He reiterated that only the state has the authority to declare jihad or issue such orders.
