Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, has once again provoked India with incendiary remarks, a year after the humiliating setback his forces suffered during Operation Sindoor.
In a fresh outburst, Munir dismissed the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the Pulwama suicide bombing as “false flag operations,” attempting to shift blame onto New Delhi while ignoring Pakistan’s own record of sponsoring cross-border terrorism.
A year after India’s calibrated military response in May 2025, which destroyed multiple Pakistani terror camps and crippled airbases, Munir’s rhetoric appears aimed at reviving a narrative of victimhood.
His statement comes at a time when Pakistan continues to face international scrutiny for its role in harbouring militant groups, with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Western governments repeatedly pressing Islamabad to curb terror financing. By branding the most infamous terror strikes on Indian soil as staged events, Munir has reignited anger in India and drawn ridicule from analysts who see his remarks as desperate propaganda.
Munir’s comments were delivered in the context of Pakistan’s ongoing attempts to reframe the Indo-Pak conflict of 2025. During that confrontation, India struck 11 Pakistani airfields, destroyed 13 aircraft including a high-value airborne platform, and neutralised nine terror camps deep inside Pakistani territory.
Despite Islamabad’s claims of shooting down Indian fighters, independent assessments and Indian briefings confirmed that Pakistan’s military infrastructure suffered severe damage. Munir’s refusal to acknowledge these losses underscores the credibility gap in Pakistan’s official narrative.
The invocation of 26/11 and Pulwama is particularly provocative. The 2008 Mumbai attacks, carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives trained in Pakistan, killed 166 civilians and remain one of the most documented terror strikes globally.
Similarly, the 2019 Pulwama bombing, in which 40 CRPF personnel were martyred, was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed, another Pakistan-based group. By dismissing these atrocities as false flags, Munir risks further alienating Pakistan from the international community, which has long recognised the role of Pakistani soil in nurturing such organisations.
Observers note that Munir’s remarks are not merely rhetorical but part of a broader strategy to deflect domestic criticism. Pakistan’s military establishment has faced growing discontent at home, with voices such as former officer Adil Raja accusing the leadership of double standards and propaganda.
Munir’s attempt to provoke India may be aimed at consolidating internal support by projecting defiance against New Delhi, even as Pakistan grapples with economic crisis, political instability, and declining credibility abroad.
Indian analysts have dismissed Munir’s claims as baseless and inflammatory. They argue that such statements only reinforce India’s position that Pakistan remains a “terror epicentre,” as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described it last year.
The Indian armed forces, buoyed by the success of Operation Sindoor, continue to emphasise their doctrine of precision strikes and strategic clarity, warning that every terrorist and their backers will be tracked and punished. Munir’s provocation, therefore, is unlikely to alter India’s stance but may instead strengthen its resolve.
The timing of Munir’s remarks also coincides with Pakistan’s attempts to seek external support, particularly from China, which had backed Islamabad during the 2025 conflict. Yet even Beijing’s diplomatic cover cannot mask the embarrassment caused by Pakistan’s military failures. Munir’s rhetoric, far from projecting strength, risks exposing Pakistan’s reliance on propaganda rather than substantive engagement.
Asim Munir’s latest provocation reflects both denial and desperation. By questioning well-documented terror attacks and ignoring the lessons of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan’s military leadership appears intent on rewriting history. For India, the episode serves as a reminder of the need for vigilance and narrative dominance, ensuring that Pakistan’s attempts at distortion do not gain traction internationally.
Agencies
