ISLAMABAD, November 16,2024: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir has criticized India’s “Hindutva ideology,” accusing it of endangering minorities both within India and abroad.
Addressing a special session of the Margalla Dialogue 2024, organized by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), General Munir condemned India’s actions in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), linking them to the expansion of its extremist ideology.
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“India’s cruelty and brutality in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is a continuation of its Hindutva policy,” General Munir said.
He also warned that the growing intolerance, fueled by the ideology, poses a threat to religious minorities worldwide, especially in countries with large Indian diasporas.
The COAS also referred to India’s alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings abroad, particularly highlighting the case of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and prominent Khalistan advocate, whose assassination in Canada has raised tensions between India and Canada.
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Both Canada and the United States have linked Indian agents to extrajudicial killings on their soil in recent years.
General Munir’s comments echoed concerns raised in the 2024 report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which condemned the widespread violence against religious minorities in India.
The report documented killings, beatings, and lynchings by vigilante groups, as well as the arbitrary arrest of religious leaders and the destruction of religious sites, often with the support of government officials.
In addition, former Pakistani foreign secretary Syrus Qazi, in January 2024, revealed that Pakistan had “credible evidence” linking Indian agents to the killings of two Pakistani nationals on Pakistani soil, describing it as part of a broader pattern of extrajudicial actions by India.
Addressing the Kashmir issue, General Munir reiterated that a lasting and peaceful resolution of the dispute is essential.
“The solution to the Kashmir issue, in line with United Nations resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, is inevitable,” he said, underscoring the need for a diplomatic and peaceful resolution to the long-standing conflict.
General Munir’s remarks come amid mounting international concern over India’s treatment of religious minorities and its involvement in controversial actions beyond its borders.
The calls for accountability and a resolution to the Kashmir dispute are likely to intensify as the international community continues to scrutinize India’s policies and actions.